Once There Was: A Chamber of Secrets
by Lion-Den
Summary: A Severitus fanfiction. Harry is still in Ravenclaw, it's his second year, and he is DONE with Dumbledore's choices for Defense Against the Dark Arts.
1. A House Elf

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

Harry's summer break started fantastically. The day after coming back to Ymborth Nos, Severus announced something. He was going to officially adopt Harry. The decision came, really, from the fact that Harry had almost died _twice _this last year. It certainly put certain things into perspective and he was not sure why he hadn't already done it. But there was no time like the present. Minerva and Remus served as character and well-being references and Narcissa and Alanna came as witnesses. Harry asked about his last name but Severus had him keep Potter. By accounts of Remus and others that knew James, Severus no longer hated him and thought Harry should be proud to be a Potter. Harry had thought about it and agreed, it was a way to keep honouring his father's sacrifice. All this was finished and finalised by the beginning of July. Harry was walking proud next to his dad (officially, now) in the village close to Ymborth. Severus looked at him fondly as he talked to some of the vendors in Welsh. Having got what they needed, they went back up. Severus shook his head as they started unpacking the groceries.

"I still don't know how exactly you managed to learn Welsh."

"Granny Blodwen. I pestered her until she did."

"The hedgewitch at the edge of the forest? Let me rephrase my question, then. How is it you speak more than Welsh insults and curse words?" Severus quipped as he put away the bread Harry was struggling to on the top shelf.

"Those came after the basics." Harry joked back.

The month sped by, his birthday looming closer and closer, and not one scrap of parchment came from his friends either to congratulate the adoption or to accept the invitation to his party. It made him reflect that he hadn't gotten anything in June either. The night of his actual birthday and the day before the party, he walked into his room to find a house-elf jumping on his bed.

"Harry Potter!" It squeaked, leaping down, and bowing, "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir. Such an honor it is…:"

"Er- Thank you? Why exactly are you here?" Harry replied, thinking it rude to ask him which family he belonged to.

"Dobby has come to tell you, sir… It is difficult, sir… Dobby wonders where to begin…"

"Why don't you sit, then?" Harry said politely, gesturing to the chair by the window.

To his surprise, the elf burst into tears. Tears loud enough to soon garner his dad's suspicion.

"_S-sit down! Never. Never, never ..._"

"I didn't mean to offend you or anything," Harry said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

"Offend Dobby?" choked the elf, "Dobby has _never_ been asked to sit down by a wizard. Like an equal."

Harry heard Severus start heading down the hall and felt a little relieved. If anyone could fix this… situation, it was him.

"You can't have met many decent wizards, then." Harry observed, pushing his door further open.

Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the window while shouting, "_Bad_ Dobby!"

He heard Severus call his name and was too busy trying to stop Dobby harming himself to answer. Madrigal was fully arched in the corner, her fur standing out, hissing. Dobby also woke up Batty Koda, who was now squeaking around the room, upset.

"Please, stop." Harry pleaded, finally managing to pry his grip off the sill.

"Dobby had to punish himself, sir," Dobby protested, slightly cross-eyed and dazed, "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, sir…"

"About that. Which family did you come from?"

"If they knew Dobby was here… " he shuddered, "Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you, sir. But Dobby had to come."

"And why is that?" Snape asked from the door, stroking Batty Koda as the shivering bat clung desperately to his shirt.

Dobby gulped and twisted the filthy pillowcase he was wearing in his hands, "Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he _does_ have to shut his ears in the oven door later. _Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts_."

Despite Severus and Harry both trying to gently tell him why, he refused to say. Many times they had to stop him from hurting himself. His dad dropped the questioning when Dobby made them panic from picking up the nearest instrument and hitting himself over the head with it. Harry was examining his violin for damage while Snape crouched down and said, "We won't make you say if you can't. Be sure that Harry will be safe. Now, I have places you can go to and receive aide. They'll help free you."

"Yeah, Dobby. They'll feed you, give you new clothes after breaking your service, get you work elsewhere." Harry added, having volunteered with Severus for the charity many times.

Dobby looked at both of them and burst back into tears, "Dobby has heard of your greatness, Harry Potter, sir! But never of your goodness. And you, sir. Just as kind, just as good. Dobby can never repay you."

They both patted him on the shoulder, hot in the face at the compliments. Harry offered him a tissue while Severus wrote the address and the best attendant for this particular case on a piece of scrap parchment from Harry's desk. He handed it Dobby. The house-elf bowed once again, set a stack of something on the nightstand and said, "Sir must keep Harry here, not at Hogwarts. He must keep him safe from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," and Disapparated.

"Well, not exactly what I pictured to happen on your birthday. Enjoy your present of the warning of imminent danger. And from Voldemort no less" his dad said dryly.

Harry rolled his eyes and gave him a _look_. He went to go see what Dobby had left and upon seeing a large stack of letters in varying colors of parchment, he growled, "They _have_ been writing. The git must have intercepted my mail."

"Probably to make your friends seem less friendly, make you not want to return to school."

"So, I will be going to Hogwarts, then?"

"Of course. I will not sacrifice your education over an unconfirmed warning from someone clearly in distress."

"Well, if there is danger, I shouldn't be bothered much. Maybe it's part of my own tradition at Hogwarts to be in life-threatening situations."

"Oh, very funny. Go to bed, young man."

"Love you, too, Dad," Harry called at his back jokingly, Severus turning and grinning before going back downstairs.

Before going to bed, Harry massed produced the same response to each friend that had wrote him.

_My mail got intercepted by a house-elf. Really, I swear. Hopefully see you at the party tomorrow._

_Harry "Never Lies" Potter_

He sent out the stack with Titan and Batty, who had calmed down. Between the two of them, they would get the explanation to all of them in time. With that hopeful thought, he flopped into bed, barely remembering to remove his glasses before falling asleep. He woke early and spent the time waiting for his dad to emerge fussing over his wardrobe. He was in the bathroom brushing his teeth when Severus' door opened. Harry grinned, knowing that none of his classmates would ever see their Potions Master the same if they observed the just-awake Severus. His hair was free of product so it was curling all over the place and his eyes were closed to slits over the onslaught of light. Harry's present of alligator slippers that chomped up and down with each step were peeking out from his pajamas of a rumpled shirt and way-oversized flannel pants. Harry got dressed in the green and gold robes he had chosen and trooped down to the kitchen. Severus was leaning against the counter, yawning and glowering at the coffee machine for brewing too slowly. He set the canister of oatmeal by the stove and shuffled back upstairs to change. Harry didn't mind, quite enjoying cooking, pulling the skeleton apron over his robes and putting some sausage and bacon on along with the oatmeal. Snape returned to help him finish in crimson robes himself, his hair still curly, which wasn't unusual (at home). After breakfast, Severus went out to the garden to start setting up for the party and Harry threw a pinch of Floo Powder in the fireplace after starting a small fire.

"Grimmauld," Harry said, and the flame spluttered, "Draco!" He hissed into the fire.

"Yeah. Here. Abort mission."

"What, why?"

"I wish you had gotten my letters. My mum is bringing someone."

"Ok, so?"

"Merlin, you're thick in the morning, " he heard Draco mutter, "She's been seeing some guy. I haven't met him yet but she's bringing him to your party. So trying the flimsy plan of coordinating their clothes in a bizarre attempt to set them up together is bust. Face it, mate, you'll have to try with someone else."

He heard the back door open and quickly put the fire out after a quick goodbye. Severus was none the wiser, Harry sitting on a couch and idly plucking on his harp when he reached the room. They didn't have much time to relax before the first guests arrived. It turned out to be the Lovegoods. Harry hugged Luna before shaking Xenophilius' hand, "I'm glad you're returning to Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Harry. I found I couldn't bear the thought of being apart from my Luna for so long. Are you going to be joining Severus in arriving early?"

"I was thinking about taking the train, but now I think I might." Harry replied

The Grangers arrived next, and then Blaise and his mum. The rest of his friends were simply dropped off, their parents politely declining to stay. Remus arrived looking healthy, as the full moon was weeks ago. Draco was last to arrive and Narcissa was indeed arm in arm with a date. Harry couldn't quite tell if Draco's petulant expression was over the guy or the general reaction of a son seeing his mum with someone new. As the party progressed and he had a chance to talk to said date, Kingsley Shacklebolt, he was sure it was the latter. Kingsley was cool, Harry had to admit. Harry was too busy investigating Narcissa's choice to notice his dad subtly ask Alanna out to dinner before going back in to retrieve the cake. Presents followed after and Harry was shocked when Narcissa gifted him a new Nimbus 2001.

"I've gotten Draco one as well, and Alanna got one for Blaise. Just in case any of you decide to join the Quidditch team this year."

Harry put his new things in his room while Severus cleared the tables away and Narcissa prepared the fireworks. There was a spider weaving a web, an eagle diving after something, a Niffler chasing a lone spark, and a dog chasing its tail for the show. It ended with a cat stretching and kneading the sky and every said their goodbyes except for Draco and Blaise, who were staying the night. Before going to sleep, the boys decided that they all would try-out for their teams this year. Harry spent the next day showing them around. They went to the market, where his friends discovered his Welsh fluency. Draco admitted he was fluent in French and could say some things in Mermish, which his mother spoke. Not to outdone, Harry also revealed a passing level of Italian. Blaise shrugged over his one language status, saying he didn't need to speak another language to be charming, which earned a joking push and punch from both. Harry introduced them to Granny Blodwen, who was in her garden, as they passed to the field set aside for Quidditch, Blaise and Draco borrowing Comets from the shed at the edge of it. All three of the boys were collected later that afternoon. Harry _had_ decided to take the train this year, so Remus took him to his place, for Severus was leaving Monday morning. Narcissa promised to have Harry over during the full moon. The month passed slowly, Harry spending most of the days at the Burrow. Remus worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office at the Ministry, thanks to Arthur Weasley, and left him with Arthur's wife, Molly, while the two men were at work. Percy was ridiculously pompous so Harry avoided him, also avoiding Ron, who he did not get along with. The best strategy to do so, he learned early on, was to retreat to Fred and George's room. The twins were known to be doing all sorts of things that caused multiple explosions, so it was universal knowledge to enter at your own peril. Harry found them hilarious and spent hours discovering that they were developing their own joke products. Ginny, too, wasn't at all worried to be in their room, so her and Harry played numerous card and board games while spouting various ideas and suggestions to the twins while they brainstormed. Narcissa wrote that Draco would be staying at the Spire for the remainder of the summer and suggested Harry stay at another of his friends, but still could come if it was necessary. It wasn't, Harry not minding to stay the night with the Weasleys. That evening, Charlie and Bill came for dinner and observed how much Harry had grown.

"How do you know that?" Ron asked rudely.

"He lived at Hogwarts, git." George piped up.

Harry wasn't paying attention, Bill's earring had given him an idea and Charlie was an unprecedented source of Draconology. Harry went to bed that night with a mental list of reasons to get his own ears pierced and the agreement of writing Charlie anytime he had questions about dragons.


	2. The Name of Wizard

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

Despite being nowhere that his friends would visit, Harry wasn't isolated from them by any means, getting and sending many letters. The last week before the first, some of his friends agreed to meet up at Diagon to get their supplies so Remus took the day off. The Weasleys decided to go at the same time and the large party arrived at the Leaky Cauldron around noon. Alanna and Blaise were sitting with Draco, who had come with his father and was looking miserable. Malfoy didn't look anymore agreeable, standing at the bar. Upon entering Diagon, Harry spied the Grangers, Lily and her mum, Daphne with her parents and little sister, who was starting this year same as Luna and Ginny. He also spotted Theo in the crowd, looking just as miserable to be with his dad as Draco was. Harry intervened, offering to have Theo join them, Alanna catching on and said she would take Theo home herself when they were finished. His father didn't argue in the slightest, seeming quite relieved at not being forced to stay, shooting a derogatory look at Arthur and the Grangers talking animatedly before Disapparating. Theo looked gratefully at Harry and surreptitiously winced over bruises as they made their way to Gringotts. He was good at hiding such things so most of the party was none of the wiser. Harry saw, however, and so did Alanna and Remus. They all separated at the bank. The Greengrasses, Lily and Blaise, their mums, the Weasley boys, and Theo found benches to sit on outside. The ones needing to go in split as well. Remus and Harry went to the vaults with Molly and Ginny. Arthur stayed topside with the Grangers, fascinated over the Muggle money they were exchanging. Harry winced at the mostly empty Weasley vault and tried to shovel the money he needed into a pouch quickly from his mother's guardian vault, glad that Severus had banned him from pulling money from the Potter vault, which was much more full. His dad was adamant they empty this vault first, especially for school supplies. Reuniting briefly, they advised a plan of attack. Parents would stick with their own kids, they decided first, so the tasks were divided by the students. Draco, Harry, and half the Weasleys would go to Flourish and Blotts for books, Daphne, Lily, and the other half of the Weasleys would go to Malkin's, Olivander's, and Eeylops. Hermione and Terry (who had arrived while they were in the Bank) would go to the apothecary and Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment. That left Blaise and Theo to go to the Magical Menagerie and Quality Quidditch Supplies. Lists and requests were distributed and off they went.

Flourish and Blotts was packed. Harry, Draco, and Ginny entered with Remus, quickly collecting the required books, and had to shove their way to the counter, all three kids laden with too-tall stacks. They saw the reason for the overcrowding, a wizard in blinding turquoise robes was signing books to the left of the counter. A middle-aged wizard pushed past Ginny, causing her to stumble and drop the books she was carrying. They must have taken longer than they thought, for Lucius and Mr. Weasley joined them. Malfoy didn't seem inclined to offer aide, his patience expired, and he saw fit to say his piece, "I thought all the extra raids would pay better," he leaned down and picked up one of the last of the fallen books, a second-hand copy of Magical Draughts and Potions, "But judging by the state of this, I'd say not. Really, Arthur, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Arthur had stood and replied with no small amount of venom, "We have a _very _different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

"Clearly," he sneered, casting a focused gaze at Remus, "Side-by-side with a werewolf and associating with Muggles." He tsked, shaking his head, "And I thought your family could sink no lower."

Arthur tackled him out of nowhere, a shelf being knocked over in their scuffle. Remus quickly pulled Arthur off of him and Draco looked queasy. An attendant found them and asked the two to leave.

"Come, Draco. We're leaving."

"No."

Lucius made to drag his son with him but Harry stepped in the way, Ginny, too, joining him to block Malfoy from his son. He glided over to Harry and glowered over him, before yanking him forward and used the handle of his cane to brush away the hair to reveal his forehead.

"That scar may be legend, boy, but so is the wizard who gave it to you."

Harry wrenched himself out of his grip, "Voldemort was nothing more than a murderer. And you're nothing but a coward."

More adults from their group had finished their shopping and had come in, all of them glaring at Lucius. He Disapparated right in the store, making sure to drive the theoretical knife in Draco deeper, "You are no son of mine."

The commotion had caught the attention of the wizard doing the book signing and Harry finally managed to escape the celebrity and the photographer after all the books were purchased and everyone was waiting outside. They sat at a table in the Leaky Cauldron to eat lunch, distribute the purchases to the right parties, and to calm down. Molly was still lecturing Arthur while Harry was trying to force Draco to eat something. The Greengrasses were the first to go, followed by the Grangers, Terry and his parents, and Alanna with Blaise and Theo. Everyone patted Draco on the back before leaving. Fred succeeded in making Draco laugh when he placed a well-timed Horn Tongue Hex on Ron, who was not being at all kind about what happened. Remus took both Harry and Draco back to Weavers Way, sending Neptune to Narcissa with a letter, telling her about what occurred. The response came that she was fine with Draco staying the night and would be there tomorrow to pick him up. Remus did not mention the multiple expletives spattered in or the reckoning she had wrote would soon be delivered to the "filth." They were halfway through dinner before Draco finally broke his silence.

"Was what my dad said true? Are you a werewolf?"

Remus paused, the spoon of stew halfway to his mouth. He sent it back into his bowl and took a deep breath, "Yes. He was right about that. I was bitten when I was a child."

"He told me that all werewolves are dangerous. Even when they're not transformed," Draco continued, Remus just hung his head, having heard it before, "But my dad is wrong about a lot of things. Harry, has he ever hurt you?"

"What? Of course not."

"That's enough for me," Draco concluded, holding out a hand to Remus and not flinching in the slightest when he shook it.

"If I can manage to convince him to come teach at Hogwarts, you won't tell anyone will you?" Harry asked, ignoring Remus' scoff.

"Nah. It'd be like revealing to everyone that Severus can take two hours in the morning to straighten and style his hair. Too personal and none of their business."

Narcissa had every intention of unleashing cataclysmic levels of fury onto Lucius and Dragonspire but Kingsley managed to talk her down. Once she had divulged where the nastier stuff was kept in the Spire, Kingsley set Ministry officials to find it and Lucius had to make a dent in the Malfoy fortune to pay all the fines and skate around a small stint in Azkaban. In light of this, Narcissa was immediately granted full custody of Draco upon filing the paperwork. Per Draco's insistence, while they were in the right office, they changed his surname to Black. To his delight, the change was documented on the House of Black tapestry at home. He was also bombarded by owls carrying messages from all of his friends that had been there. All of them conveyed the same sentiment. His father was called a variety of names, git and prat being the tamer ones. And he was assured that should he wish them to forget it all, they would. The knowledge that he had such loyal friends brought him completely out of his gloom and he was quite chipper upon arriving at King's Cross Station.

"Who slipped you a Cheering Charm?" Blaise asked when they joined up.

Draco just shrugged, smiling even wider. They got to the column and Blaise eagerly claimed first pass through, kind of creeped out over Draco's behavior. Narcissa ushered Draco through next. Remus was wavering over sending Harry off by himself or seeing him directly onto the train. Harry just shook his head and pulled him along. But there was a slight problem. They couldn't get through. The barrier had shut itself for some reason. Remus frowned, trying one more time but the result was the same.

"Odd. Very well, Harry. We can't have you miss the train. I'll take Madge, you take Batty. I'll come right back for the rest of the cart. Hold on tight, now." Remus instructed before Apparating them right onto the platform. Harry took Batty out his cage, putting him on his shoulder, and took Madrigal's carrier from Remus, who Disapparated back to the other side. The barrier seemed to have unstuck and Remus re-entered that way. Harry was too busy watching Narcissa strip Lucius down, loudly. He had a feeling spells would have been used had he not seen Draco slip her wand out of her pocket and hide it in his own. Lucius must have had enough for he Disapparated, Harry curious over the glimpse of a house-elf leaving right after him. The elf had seemed familiar. With a minute before departure, the scramble to get them and their luggage boarded drove it from his mind. They found the compartment next to the ones already full with their friends and waved to the adults left on the platform until they were out of site. Ginny was the first of the Weasleys to find them, joining Harry, Draco, and Blaise in their compartment. Blaise was acting his usual way around a girl when the twins showed up, both of them slapping a hand down onto each of his shoulders and squeezing, "Hello, Zabini. We see you've met our sister."

The rest of the train ride was spent catching up. Harry explained the lack of Capriccio, Blaise shared his newest discovery over his mother's curse, and Draco continued complaining about Kingsley, who Arthur, according to Fred and George, knew quite well. Ginny was busy writing in a diary. When the carriages arrived to take them up to the castle, Blaise started insisting that they didn't just pull themselves.

"My mum's patronus is a thestral, I would think I know what they look like."

"Then how can't we see them?" Draco asked just as they reached the Great Hall.

"Because only someone that's seen death can." Blaise muttered before leaving for the Slytherin table.

Now Harry and Draco felt bad, mouthing an apology at Blaise who nodded curtly. Knowing that the apology was accepted but he was still upset, they focused on the conversations of the yearmates in their own house to give him space. The sorting had lost its luster for Harry now that he no longer had to wonder which House he would be sorted into. The only ones he really paid attention to were those he knew, or at least knew their older siblings. Following the Weasley tradition, Ginny was quickly placed into Gryffindor. Luna joined his own house and he was thrilled, bulldozing Draco over to make room for her. Like last year, he did the House tally while Dumbledore made the usual announcements. Nine new Slytherins, eleven Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and ten Gryffindors.


	3. A Howler

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

The next morning's mail brought a Howler for Draco, who hadn't noticed that Narcissa's wand was still in the pocket of his pants that were now on the dormitory floor.

"DRACO REGULUS BLACK! HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY WAND! IF IT IS NOT BACK IN MY HAND BY THIS AFTERNOON, I WILL COME THERE. AND YOU WILL REGRET IT. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS BEHAVIOR. OH, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SORTING, ASTORIA, DEAR. VESTA AND THESEUS ARE SO PROUD."

Having delivered its message, it set itself on fire. Draco was nearly as pale as his hair and Harry and Luna were covered in ash and dust from the rafters that had shaken loose. Draco immediately went to find the wand and sent it out with the nearest owl. He arrived just in time for the new Defense professor to make his grand entrance. He flounced down the stairs that led to his office, and dramatically scooped up the nearest textbook. The book had a portrait of himself on the cover and he held it up, showed every one of his teeth in a smile, and said, "Me. Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of _Witch Weekly's_ Most-Charming-Smile Award. But I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by _smiling_ at her!"

He paused for laughs. The boys were all looking at each other in varying shades of disbelief and discomfort. Most of the girls, especially Pansy's group, giggled. He saw some of them unimpressed, Lily standing out the most by rolling her eyes.

"I see you've all brought a complete set of my books - well done." He started.

Draco whispered to Harry, "As if we had a choice."

"I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about, just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in."

They all received the quiz and were given thirty minutes to complete it. Harry looked down and looked at the questions with increasing bafflement:

What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?

What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?

What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?

He noticed the Ravenclaws, even some of the girls, look vexed. He had to admit, this was sort of an insult to their intelligence. Especially with the last question being:

54\. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?

Harry answered the questions grudgingly, remembering some from what he had read. By the end, most of the male students had to blot a couple times. Blaise was irritated enough to accidentally tear right through the paper, having to get another copy. Once collecting them all, Lockhart skimmed over them and acted comically disappointed. He mentioned some of the answers and which book they were in. Harry was shaking with silent laughter when Lily mimed barfing onto the desk when Lockhart winked over one of the answers, something about Fire Whiskey. Harry was not the only bloke to find her reactions hilarious but nearly every other girl was glaring at her. Harry was not really surprised that Hermione got a perfect score, she had an eidetic memory and read at least three books a day. It was her reaction to Lockhart that seemed out of character, Harry didn't think her the type to fawn over someone like Lockhart. She received ten points for Hufflepuff over it. He continued the lesson by setting a covered cage on the table in the front. Whatever was in it was making the cage rock and shake.

"I have been hired to teach you about the foulest things that walk our world. I must warn you not to scream, it might provoke them!" He narrated ominously before pulling the cloth away.

It turned out to be Cornish pixies and there was more than one scoff. Blaise couldn't keep it in anymore and he laughed. Lockhart seemed offended, offering him a less than friendly smile, "Yes?"

"They're pixies. I've spent summers clearing things out way more dangerous than them."

"Well, then. Let's see what you make of them." Lockhart said, opening the cage.

The pixies went everywhere and Harry wasn't the only one in the room to shove their books into their bags as quickly as possible. They had a hobby of tearing things, which was evident with Theo's books, as three or four of them started ripping pages out and split one book straight down the binding. The other pixies were pulling hair, spilling ink, flipping the desks. Five of them had gotten a hold of Neville and lifted him up onto one of the empty torches. Some started breaking the windows and leaving. Lockhart was back to his toothy smile, boasting, "Round 'em up. Round 'em up. They're only pixies."

Harry, Draco, and Lily were using their History of Magic books to hit the ones they could reach out of the air. Blaise had grabbed the cage and was shoving the fallen ones back in it. The rest of the class were either out in the hall or crammed in the corner. When a portrait of Lockhart was shredded, he pulled out his wand and said, "Peskipiksi pesternomi!" The only thing that happened was the pixies now could grab his wand, promptly throwing it outside when they did. Lockhart retreated to his office after that, looking at the four in the middle of the chaos and parted with, "I'll ask you to just nip the rest of them back into their cage."

All of them were late for Potions. The second-years managed to cage all of the ones that hadn't escaped out the window. Hermione levitated Neville down, who was still hanging by his hood. They also did their best to repair as many of the damaged books as possible. Harry handed Theo's back, only able to fix four out the seven.

"Sorry, mate."

"Nah, it's fine. You tried but there's not really a spell to fix pulp."

Severus was pacing when they got done to the dungeons. The class hurried in and waited to lose points. He looked at all of their faces, reading the strongly projected surface thoughts from all of them. He was the most unimpressed of all the staff and students over the new Defense appointment.

"Very well. I don't believe you can think your explanations any louder. I understand you all being late. Before we begin, Black and Potter, ten points to Ravenclaw for fixing the stupidity as best you could. Zabini, fifteen points for knowing the proper procedure. And Spinks, ten points for thinking on your feet rather than getting caught up in his supposed appeal. Mr. Nott, see me after class so I can see if there is anything I can do to fix your books. Now, here is the new seating chart. Once you all find your seats, begin brewing the sleeping draught you can find in chapter four, my corrections will be on the board."

Harry was assigned to a table with Hermione, Daphne, and Neville. Daphne seemed embarrassed over being one of the girls 'caught up in his appeal.' Hermione, on the other hand, was irritated over his comment. Harry was glad Daphne seemed to be coming to her senses while helping Neville with his potion, his own already at the point of it needing to just brew. Class was nearly over and he still couldn't get Hermione. She was the smartest of all of them, and he would admit to that, outloud. Lockhart was a brainless idiot. He just couldn't fathom what could make him appealing to a witch that had more talent and intellect in her pinky toe than he had in his whole, useless self. The bell rang and Harry waved on Draco and Blaise, wanting to wait for Theo. Remus had assured him that he had alerted Severus that Theo's home situation might be abusive, and both of them were determined to take him under their wing.

Severus looked the books over and sighed, "There's not anything that can be done for them, I'm afraid. Would you like me to write to your parents about what happened?"

"No!" Theo shouted, panicked.

"Harry, go to lunch. I need to talk to Mr. Nott alone."

Transfiguration and Charms had seating charts now as well but since neither teacher had a son in their year like Severus, they divided them by house rather than friend groups. Harry had the misfortune to be placed right by Mandy, who had Crabbe right behind them both. As such, Harry had to spend the whole class pulling the beetles that they were supposed to be turning into buttons out of his hair. He'd like to say that it stopped after McGonagall caught Crabbe and took points away, it didn't. By the end of the class, Harry was fed up, turning to Mandy, who had been goading Crabbe on the whole time, and saying, "It's pretty sad when you have to surround yourself by trolls in order to feel smart."

McGonagall was close enough to hear but was suddenly absorbed in a loose thread on her robes, Harry knowing the thinness of her lips was over trying not to laugh rather than acting stern. His victory lasted one class period. The three boys were walking out of Charms, Draco and Blaise both in foul moods. Draco had been stuck at a table with Pansy and Blaise had to hear snark from Rivers about his mum the whole time. Harry was taking them to the quidditch pitch to blow off steam and practice when a bright flash caught them off guard.

"Hullo, Harry! I'm Collin. Collin Creevey. I wish I was sorted into your house but Gryffindor's quite spiffy." A mousy-haired first year said in one breath.

"Er - Nice to meet you."

"Sorry for taking your picture so suddenly but I was wondering if, when I get it developed, if you would sign it."

Before Harry could let him down easy, the Gadding Ghouls (what they called Pansy, Mandy, and their lot) swooped in. Apparently they had seen the article from that day in Diagon Alley in the Prophet. He was hoping that issue never existed as he couldn't hide being on the front page.

"Now you're so famous as to be giving out signed photos?" Mandy said, coming up right behind Collin, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

Rivers contributed, shouting at the students walking by in the corridor, "Everyone line up! Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!"

"Shove off, Oliver." Harry growled, clenching his fists.

The eleven-year old that was thinner than Crabbe's neck piped up, "You're just jealous."

"Jealous?" Oliver said incredulously, no longer needing to shout now that the whole corridor had stopped to watch, "What would I have to be jealous of? I'm rather glad I don't have a foul scar right across my head, thanks. Having your head cut open doesn't make you special."

"Keep it up, Rivers," Draco said quietly, his hand clutching his wand that Harry hadn't seen him pull out of his bag.

"Be careful, _Malfoy_. You don't want to get into more trouble else your mummy might show up." He put on a shrill, piercing voice that sounded nothing like Narcissa, "_I can't believe this behavior!" _

Whatever else he was going to say, he didn't get the chance to, for Blaise had reached his breaking point and tackled him, delivering a well-placed punch into his diaphragm, turning his shout into a breathless wheeze. Draco quickly shoved his wand into his pocket, hissing, "Watch out!"

Too late, Lockhart was striding by with Sprout, halting his unwarranted 'advice' at the scene. Harry was hoping beyond hope that the prat had heard nothing about the signed photo thing.

It was dashed as he said, "Who's giving out signed photos?" the same time Sprout told off Blaise and Oliver, who were still brawling on the ground.

"No one is giving out photos, signed or otherwise, you daft dimbo," Harry said, not thinking past the end of his patience.

Oliver and Blaise were standing now, both bruised with bloody noses, and Sprout turned to him, surprised as Lockhart's smile wavered, "Gilderoy, please take Rivers and Zabini to the hospital wing to clean up." Lockhart opened his mouth, presumably to boast that he could handle the healing, but Minerva chose that moment to join the commotion.

"I'll take them, Pomona. Before I do, all three of you have earned yourself detention. You two, brawling on the floor like common thugs. And you, Harry, have shocked me most of all. Of all my students, you are one of the most respectful and I cannot believe this out-of-character behavior."

Blaise and Rivers were still glaring at each other, saying nothing. Harry hung his head and said a quiet apology, to Minerva. Sprout took the bloody boys away, her not believing Harry's comment either.


	4. An Echo

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

The evening of that first day, Harry wrote to Remus.

_Dearest Uncle Remus,_

_Please, PLEASE, come teach Defense Against the Dark Arts next year. Here is why you must. Last year, the teacher shared a face with Voldemort, revealed this not even halfway through the year, and then finished his employment by trying to kill me. This year, Dumbledore seems to have lost his mind from hiring a brainless monkey. You know what, that's an insult to simians, who could, incidentally, teach the lessons better than he can. He hasn't tried to kill me yet, but it's not unlikely. When it does happen, be sure it will be from his complete incompetence._

_Your very, very, fed up yet hopeful nephew,_

_Harry_

The next morning, they received their detention times, which were thankfully after tryouts. Harry also got a reply from Remus.

_Nice try, Harry. But seeing as I cannot control my ... cyclical illness, it would not be beneficial for me to be in a place so crowded. I understand your frustration and don't blame you but try to refrain from calling your professors 'daft dimbos.' One thing I can do to fix things is provide you with this book, it should prove more educational than the narratives you were forced to purchase._

It seemed that Harry was not the only student seeking outside help. There was an influx of books from home and the shelves in the library dedicated to the subject were completely empty. Quidditch trials came and went by the time it had gotten so pervasive that each house had instilled a book exchange system themselves. The results of the tryouts saw quite a few second years making the teams. Draco and Anthony were the newest Ravenclaw Chasers. Harry had initially wanted Seeker but was happy making Keeper, Morag being his reserve. Blaise was also a new Chaser, along with Theo. The new Slytherin Seeker was Daphne, who smugly beat Tracey for the position. Harry was not the only of their friends to make Keeper, Georgiana winning the spot on her own House Team. The rest of the month was spent eventfully. Harry spent most of his time either avoiding Lockhart as much as possible or at Quidditch Practice, Orion being nearly as fanatical as Wood. Luna and Ginny had added themselves to the trio during the month, as well. Ginny had earned Blaise's fear respect by getting him with a Bat-Bogey Hex when he got obnoxious. And Luna fascinated Draco, who was the most open to her bizarre ideas. Halloween day, all three boys were approached with their exact detentions. Blaise and Rivers would be serving theirs with Sprout and Flitwick seemed genuinely sorry to assign Harry with Lockhart.

"Please, sir. Anybody but him. I'll trade with Blaise, even if it means rolling in dragon dung."

"I'm sorry, Harry. He specifically requested it and we couldn't refuse since he was the offended party."

So, instead of going to the feast, he was stuck in Lockhart's office responding to fan mail while listening to him prattle on. He was nodding off over Veronica Smethley's envelope when he heard a voice.

"_Come. Come to me. Let me rip you. Let me tear you. Let me kill you ..." _

"What?!" Lockhart started saying something stupid and Harry cut him off, "No. That voice! Didn't you hear it?"

"What _are _you talking about, Harry? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy. And no wonder, Great Scott, we've been here nearly four hours. Marvelous, isn't it, how time flies when one is having fun."

Harry tried not to sneer at him, straining to hear the voice again over his endless drivel, but it had disappeared. Thankfully, he was dismissed, and he hurried back to Ravenclaw Tower.

"Many have heard me, but nobody has seen me, and I will not speak back until spoken to. What am I?"

"A voice in the walls," Harry said, it still occupying his thoughts.

The door remained shut and Harry sighed, giving the actual riddle some thought before answering, "An echo."

"Very good!" the door opened and Harry immediately pulled Draco aside and told him about what happened. Blaise had decided to join them for the rest of the evening. Thankfully, Sprout hadn't assigned them anything but watering some of the more tame and normal plants. Harry was filling him in over his evening while Draco continued to think.

"You're sure Lockhart _actually_ didn't hear the voice?" Draco asked, elaborating when Harry nodded, "He wasn't just being his brand of obliviousness?"

"If he was, it would have been detrimental to his image. He seemed actually alarmed."

"Did you notice a door opening? Maybe someone else got their hands on an Invisibility Cloak. Thought it'd be funny to make you think you'd gone 'round the twist."

"I don't think so. I was nodding off when I heard the voice but the hinges on that door always squeak. I would have noticed that, at least."

They had no answers and the morning of the first Quidditch match saw Harry, Draco, and Luna being three dots of blue in a sea of green. Lily was playing too, so the group (minus Hermione and Terry who had chosen to be in the library, and Morag, who knew what she was up to), had split in two. The three had joined Sophie in the Slytherin box to cheer on Blaise, Theo, and Daphne. Georgiana was stuck in the Hufflepuff box with her team, the captain requiring each member to carefully note the match. Anthony and Padma were also dots of blue in a sea of one color, red rather than green, having joined Neville and Ginny. Harry was actually surprised Draco, Ant, and him weren't in the same position as Gee, given how determined Ashewood was to finally win the Inter-House Cup his last year at the school. Daphne and Lily were evenly matched, and the Snitch kept disappearing in their race to it. Despite a valiant effort of Blaise and Theo getting a majority of 120 points for Slytherin, Lily edged out Daphne for a Gryffindor victory. The friends in the stands were relieved at the results, in a way. The small margin victory was better than a slaughter, so neither the Gryffindors or Slytherins would be too disappointed or smug. Right after the match, the boys were heading to Severus' rooms to hear how his latest date with Alanna had went. Harry was not initially on board, knowing of the curse, but Blaise had revealed he had figured out what would break it. Love brought it about, and love would fix it, so Harry and Blaise were quite eager to see them continue and already had contingencies for any problems. They were on the stairs between the third and fourth floor when Harry heard the voice again. "_rip … tear … kill …_"It seemed to be moving, so Harry started running after it, reversing and going back down to the second floor. "_soo hungry … for so long …"_

"Harry, what's going on?"

"Be quiet for a minute! Listen." Harry ordered, Blaise and Draco doing as he said, looking around.

"_kill … time to kill …" _It was moving quickly down the corridor and Harry followed, looking back quickly and waving at the other two to follow. A couple times Harry had to stop and find the voice again. He started picking up his pace when he heard, "_I smell blood … I SMELL BLOOD_!"

"It's killed someone. Or something." Harry gasped, before turning the corner.

The three boys sloshed their way forward, a couple inches of water along the entire corridor. Harry was looking at the ceiling, having heard one last thing from the voice, moving up. Blaise was by a window, tapping Harry and pointed at an unnaturally straight line of spiders crawling out of it. Draco alerted them to the most pressing thing, "Oh, bloody hell. Not good."

Blaise and Harry turned and saw what he had. The torch bracket had Mrs. Norris hanging from it, the cat stiff as a board. The spanse of wall next to it had a message written in what looked like blood.

The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware.

They all got closer to Mrs. Norris, wondering if there was anything they could do, when a mass of students started coming up the stairs, all but one House making their way back to their common rooms. The cheer from the Quidditch match, especially the Gryffindors', stopped at once upon them all getting a glimpse of the wall. The quiet remained as they pressed forward, the trio knowing that they were in for it, bigtime, blocked from both ends.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware? You'll be next Mudbloods!" It was Pansy, who had used Crabbe, Goyle, and Millicent to push to the front.

"What is going on here? Why are all of you standing around? Plotting something, perhaps, hmm?" Filch said, shouldering his way through the crowd.

His eyes bulged even further as he caught sight of the scene. He mouthed through the words before finally noticing his cat. Unfortunately, Harry was closest to her, and Filch had spotted him almost immediately.

"You!" he screeched, "You've murdered my cat! You've always hated her! And now you've killed her! I'll kill you! I sw -"

"_Argus!" _

Dumbledore had arrived with Severus. In seconds, he swept past Harry, Draco, and Blaise and took Mrs. Norris down. Severus was looking at his son and his friends with concern. Before he could say anything, Dumbledore spoke up.

"Come with me, Argus. You, too, Harry, Mr. Black, Zabini."

Lockhart had arrived sometime during all this and stepped forward eagerly, "My office is nearest, Headmaster. Just upstairs, please feel free …"

"Thank you, Gilderoy."

The crowd parted for them, Dumbledore glanced at Severus following closely, a hand on Harry's shoulder, and sighed in resignation. Minerva, too, was following after seeing Lockhart join the party. She knew someone besides Dumbledore would need to play referee. When they reached Lockhart's office, the very grave boys lightened a little at seeing the many portraits of the dimwit race out of their frames, their hair in curlers and their faces covered in green clay. They all caught Severus' eye and all four of them were trying not to laugh as Dumbledore performed a close inspection of Mrs. Norris. It was not helped with the actual Lockhart spouting off ridiculous explanations, all of which he said he could solve easily. McGonagall remained composed, though she would have a hearty chuckle in her own suite of rooms later, hissing under her breath to Severus, "You're supposed to be the adult."

Harry's amusement had quickly faded before that, feeling immense guilt for some reason as Filch started sobbing in the corner. Draco, too, was looking at the caretaker with something close to pity. Dumbledore was now muttering spells the boys hadn't even heard of, tapping his wand against the cat. Lockhart kept going, the returned portraits nodding in agreement. Draco had taken out a small block of walnut and had carved into a vague four-legged shape when, at last, Dumbledore seemed satisfied.

"She's not dead, Argus." he said softly, halting Lockhart mid-explanation of some murder he had prevented.

"Not dead?" Filch hiccuped, his face blotchy from crying, "But why's she all… stiff and frozen?"

"She has been Petrified," ("Ah! I thought so!" Lockhart started again, quickly quieting as the two most angerous people besides Dumbledore turned to look at him with tremendous vitriol).

"However, I know not how…"

"Ask him!" Filch shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at Harry.

"No second year could have done this," Dumbledore said firmly. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced -"

"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, "You saw what he wrote on the wall! Always lurking to play that evil music! And he's known I'm a Squib for years!"

"Gain a hold of yourself, Argus!" Severus snapped, "Harry has never done anything harmful towards you! And be assured I raised him better than to treat you poorly for being a Squib."

"No one questions that Harry had anything to do with this grisly situation. The boys must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. One thing I _would_ like to know is why they _were_ in the first place." Minerva intervened.

"I can explain that, Minerva. They were to join me for afternoon tea."

"With no evidence to keep them in suspicion, please take them either to their common rooms or to your rooms for the tea that is likely cold by now. Minerva, kindly go to Pomona in the greenhouses and inform her that the Mandrakes now have a more important purpose."

"My cat has been Petrified! I want to see some _punishment_!"

"Argus," Dumbledore sighed before leading Filch away by the elbow, returning Mrs. Norris to him, who cradled her in his arms mournfully.

Lockhart flounced after McGonagall, spouting his expertise at Mandrake Restorative Draught and offering to make it. Snape was left with the three and the portraits. They were all looking after the Head of Gryffindor House and Blaise piped up, "Five galleons that she jinxes him before they make it to that greenhouse."

"I would be inclined to agree but seeing as how _I _am the Potions Master at this school, _I _will be making that Draught. Your money would be better spent on someone who would love to do the honors." Snape intoned acerbically.


	5. A Bludger

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

He marched them up to the rooms, heating up the tea that had indeed gone cold, and they all helped themselves to a sandwich, breakfast a distant memory. Severus did not have to say anything to get them to start on the explanation. Harry quickly said how he had heard the voice during detention, and the second time just now as they were heading up here.

"I'm assuming you didn't tell me the first time because you concluded it was you hearing things from exhaustion?" Severus said dryly, raising an eyebrow, "No matter. I can think of a few explanations, all of them pointless, as I would have observed the signs long before this. We'll simply have to exercise caution and I expect you to tell me immediately if or when you hear it again."

Harry nodded, glanced at Blaise and they both shared a devious smile, "How'd the date go, Dad?"

"_That_ is why you invited yourselves here this afternoon?" Severus said, looking at three boys in irritation.

"Not me. I came to ask about how my mum is progressing with Shacklebolt."

Severus looked like he had found a way to avoid the first subject with that but Blaise quickly intervened, "No offense, Draco, but we can hear about that later. Did you take her to the place I suggested?"

"I am perfectly capable of planning my own dates, thank you!" Severus protested.

"So did you?"

"Yes." Snape muttered ungratefully, before continuing, "It went very well and that is all I am going to share."

Harry and Blaise kept trying for a while but ceased when Severus threatened to sick Kipsey (Alanna's paid house-elf), on them. The mention of a house-elf had Harry remembering Dobby.

"I forgot. How's the case for Dobby going?" Harry asked.

Draco, who was lazily sprawled on a settee carving the walnut block further, jolted up, his hands letting the wood and tool fall, "Did you just say Dobby? _That's_ the elf that came to Ymborth this summer and stopped your mail?"

"Er - yeah?" Harry said, confused over Draco's strong reaction.

Severus was not confused in the slightest, looking sharply at him and asking, "You know who he belongs to, don't you?"

"Dobby is the latest in a long-line of elves that have served the Malfoy family since the 11th century."

With that information, Severus couldn't do much. It did speed forward Alanna's case at the charity but the danger to Harry over it was not yet apparent, if there was any. It did make Severus take a seat directly next to him at the next Quidditch match. Why Lucius had come he had no idea, having been told of the renouncing statement made months ago. Narcissa was there as well and thankfully, Kingsley had come up the stairs first, saw her ex-husband, and promptly shooed her back down with the excuse that she should meet more of his friends in the other stands. Snape was rehashing all the counter-curses and protections he had placed on Harry and Draco's brooms (nothing to alter the game itself, of course), as Kingsley and Narcissa climbed up to the group of second years in the Gryffindor Box. Narcissa was only able to meet some of Draco's friends that hadn't come to Diagon Alley that day. Seeing Sophie interact with Theo, she was glad that he seemed to be gaining such a friendship, having been apprised of the gist of what the boy faced at home. Narcissa was fascinated with Padma, seeing the signs of a true Seer, which was rare. She thought Neville was dear, thinking his soft kindness extraordinary given he was raised by Augusta Longbottom. She concluded he must have taken after his mother when the match began. Back in the teacher's box, Severus was trying to get into the game. When Harry blocked the first attempt at a goal, it became easier. He got so into the game, he did not notice Dobby crouching by Malfoy's feet.

Harry had stopped another goal and then had to dive to avoid both bludgers hit to him by Ernie and McManus. One of them spiralled to another player but the second stopped in midair before racing right back to Harry. He spent the next ten minutes trying to dodge the bludger and stop the quaffle before he got Ashewood's attention long enough to have him call a timeout. Hooch came over and inspected the bludger when they were all on the ground before deeming nothing wrong with it and sending them back up. Orion stuck by Harry, confident that Inglebee could handle the rest of the field for now. But the Beater could only go so fast, and Harry was stretching his arm to finish covering one of the hoops when the bludger got away from Ashewood and sped straight into Harry's arm with a sickening crack. Diggory and Cho were flying side by side to the Snitch, Harry cradling his broken arm while blocking the last feeble attempts to gain a few more points. Cho just inched past and wrapped her hand around the gold, winged ball. Lee Jordan announced, "Ravenclaw wins, 190 to 70!"

Harry carefully flew to the ground and dismounted, trying to jostle his arm as little as possible. With the game over, none of the beaters were thinking to continue their purpose. But the bludger that was stuck on Harry didn't share the same sentiment. It continued to dive at Harry, who was crying out in pain every time he had to jump out of the way, the bludger making small craters in the sand. Hermione was the first to reach him on the field, waving her wand and shouting, "Reducto!" which caused the bludger to shatter into small pieces. Harry looked in horror to see Lockhart at the front of the crowd from the staff box. He looked desperately for his dad but found him still up there, practically lifting Lucius into the air by his lapels. He looked for anyone but him but there he was saying dramatically, "Don't you worry, Harry! I can have that fixed up in no time!"

"No! Not you," Harry protested weakley, starting to sway from the pain.

"Don't be silly, Harry. He knows what he's doing." Hermione scolded, looking at the 'professor' slightly dreamily.

Harry made one last feeble attempt to block him from doing anything to no avail, "Brackium emendo!" A very odd sensation followed those words, like his arm was deflating somehow. He looked at his arm, which now resembled a flesh-colored noodle.

"You idiot!" Harry growled just as Severus finally joined him.

Severus was still quite agitated over Lucius and pulled out his wand, pointing it directly at Gilderoy's heart, "What have done to my son?"

"That is quite enough, Severus!" Dumbledore said hotly, shooing the small groups of students away, using his wand to amplify his voice, "Go back to your dormitories. Quidditch injuries are nothing to gawk over!"

Another professor had taken Gilderoy away, who had turned a unique shade of chartreuse at having a wand from a very angry father pointed at his chest. Dumbledore and Minerva were ushering Harry and Severus up to the hospital wing. When they got there, Dumbledore began his reprimand as Poppy raged over the buffoon in the background, "That is enough, all of you! I admit that Lockhart is not the most ideal for the position but seeing as he was one of two applicants, the other teaching the higher level, there was not much of a choice. I expected my staff to show a level of decorum and, if not respect, at least some civility. The next professor to so openly or loudly insult my limited decision will be facing temporary suspension. And students, for that matter, will be facing multiple detentions and, given the severity of the behavior, a ban from all extra-curricular activities for the rest of the year. I will excuse you once again, Mr. Potter, over your state of pain but know that should you continue your campaign against a professor, you will receive consequences." Dumbledore nearly bellowed, angry enough to remind each individual in the room why he was called the greatest wizard of the age.

Minerva watched him leave and turned to Severus, releasing a long breath, "Well. We all could have handled that better. But that settles things."

"It most certainly does not. I will not drop this, Minerva. His incompetence is now putting students in harm's way."

"Severus, don't push him."

"I can find other work elsewhere. Better work. And I'll take Harry with me, see how that fits into whatever he is playing at."

Minerva saw there was no arguing with him in this state and left as well. Poppy seemed to support him, muttering Dumbledore's tendency to always offer someone an infinite amount of chances, even when it was unwarranted. She poured a dose of Skele-Gro into a tumbler and handed it Harry, "You're in for a rough night, my dear. If you would have been sent straight to me, as is proper procedure, I could have mended it in a heartbeat. Now, thanks to that pretending showboat, you'll have the painful process of regrowing thirty-two bones. Try to get him comfortable, Severus, while I go get one of more powerful pain relievers." She bustled off, pushing curtains towards them.

By the time she came back, Severus had helped him get changed and settled into the bed and Harry was fighting to stay awake. He managed a small sip before falling asleep entirely.

"You'll stay with him all night, Severus?" He nodded and she produced another set of pajamas, "Try to sleep some, my friend. He will heal just fine, I'll stake my wand on it. It won't help for him to worry over you on top of everything else."

Severus took her advice and was dosing in a bed next to Harry's when a certain house-elf appeared with a crack. Before Harry could wake any further, him stirring restlessly and wincing in his sleep, Snape picked up the elf by the arms and set him so Severus was between him and Harry.

"Haven't you done enough?"

"Dobby feels most aggrieved, sir. He had to iron his hands," the elf said, showing them bright red and covered in dirty gause.

"That is not going to unbreak his arm or reverse how it resulted in the idiot de-boning it. For someone trying to protect him, you're doing a fine job of trying to kill him." Dobby cowered from his anger and the action turned that rage into something slimy, "I'm sorry, Dobby. I'm not angry at you. Not really. Just, from now on, stop trying to get Harry out of Hogwarts. Please."

"He is in danger, sir! Dobby only wants to see him safe."

Severus was about to say something when a commotion got within earshot and the elf disappeared. Minerva came in wearing a tartan nightgown, followed my Dumbledore still in the same clothes, levitating a stretcher with a boy on it. He appeared to be Petrified, his camera up to his face like it had happened mid snap. Harry woke finally and Severus held a finger to his lips and then pointed to his ear. Harry nodded, closing his eyes again, feigning sleep. Severus stood and joined his colleagues.

"Oh, Severus! There's been another attack. We think he was sneaking up here for Harry. We found bread, sausage, and grapes by him."

"The camera. He might have gotten a picture of whatever did this to him." Severus observed.

When the camera was opened, Harry heard a pop and then hissing. He had an idea that it was melting.

"What does this mean, Albus?"

"It means that the Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened again."

The next morning, Hermione was the first to visit him in the hospital wing. She seemed to have not gotten much sleep and seemed contrite, "I have to apologize, Harry. I should have listened to you. About Lockhart. I don't believe him, anymore. And I'm sorry he hurt you," she said quietly, a few tears slipping out.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I don't blame you. At all." Harry reassured her, which caused her to really start crying, falling on the bed to hug him.


	6. A Dueling Club

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

Despite Dumbledore's anger and his warning, Severus was true to his word with McGonagall and wasn't finished with Lockhart. He nearly _did_ get suspended but had plausible deniability on his side. Because technically _he_ wasn't the one to send the simpleton a depilatory under the guise of a hair-glossing potion. The fact that it was Alanna that had, pretending to be a fan, was besides the point. The second attack had rocked the school, way more than the first Petrification. Everybody was now traveling in packs and there was a new notice of a Dueling Club. As the next Quidditch match was two months after the holidays, all of them were free to go. Harry and his friends were sure Severus would be involved, the Ravenclaws were sure that Flitwick would be running it, and everyone was hoping that Lockhart would still be hiding his baldness in his office. They all trumped into the Great Hall that had been reconfigured and found there hopes dashed. There he was, standing at the head of the long stage, edging as far away from Severus as much as possible. Likely requested by Minerva, Flitwick was there but to referee rather than to lead the club. To the students' disgust that role seemed to be fulfilled by Lockhart.

"Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!" Lockhart said, waving an arm for silence, which none of the students were much inclined to give, "Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club." Lockhart continued.

Blaise didn't bother keeping his voice down to say, "From a Confundus Charm?"

The laughs that comment got were completely ignored, Severus and Flitwick on purpose, Lockhart through his ego, "It's to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions -" Once again, no one bothered to hide their snorts of disbelief, "For full details, see my published works."

"Let me introduce my assistants, Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick," Lockhart continued, smiling big despite edging nearly off the stage, "Flitwick tells me he used to be a champion in the dueling circuit and Professor Snape has said he knows a tiny little bit about it himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry -" Lockhart began, misinterpreting the reaction of the students, "You'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear."

All but a select few were actually afraid, much money being bet on how long he would last and how severe Snape would be in venting his frustration. The ones that were afraid, were not so over the reasons Lockhart had mentioned. Harry and Draco were worried. Blaise was amused at the wolfish smile Severus was displaying but joined the other two in uneasiness when Harry murmured, "I hope this doesn't give him fired."

Lockhart and his dad turned to face each other, Snape bending down to hear Flitwick say something in his ear. Lockhart bowed, with many unnecessary hand twirling, and Severus nodded at Filius before inclining his head sharply at Lockhart before both of them raised their wands in front of them.

"As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the crowd, Severus curling his lip, "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course," Lockhart finished nervously, glancing at Snape.

"I hope not," Harry muttered, wringing his hands same as Flitwick.

"One. Two… Three."

Both of them swung their wands and pointed them at their opponent. A dazzling flash of red exploded from Severus' wand and hit Lockhart square in the chest, blasting him off his feet and flinging him off the stage straight into the wall, sliding down painfully to sprawl on the floor. Everyone groaned, the trio over what that could cost the Potions professor, the rest counting out galleons between themselves. The Defense teacher got to his feet and unsteadily made his way back up the stage. His hat had fallen off and the wig he seemed to be wearing was one inch skewed to the right.

Flitwick took over, shooing Severus to where he had been standing, "Well, that was quite a demonstration. What Professor Snape performed was a Disarming Charm - the spell being Expelliarmus - and it would have lost Professor Lockhart his wand." the Carrow girls were the ones to hand it up, "Thank you, Flora."

Before Flitwick could continue, Lockhart had righted his wig and took back control to safe face, "Quite right, Filius. It was an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but it was fairly obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have only been to easy. But I felt it would instructive to let them see -"

Severus was inching his wand higher with each word and Flitwick cleared his throat, "Enough explanations! We're going to come amongst you now and put you all in pairs. Severus, if you would help me on this side, Lockhart if you would be so kind as to take the other. When the dueling starts, you will try to disarm your opponent. ONLY disarm."

Unfortunately the side Flitwick had suggested for Lockhart was the side Harry and his friends were on. Since the differing friend groups had clumped themselves together, it wasn't hard for Lockhart to pull individuals from the different congregations and pair them. Harry got paired with Pansy, Blaise with Tracey, and Draco with Rivers. Once all the pairs were made, they let them at it, Flitwick and Severus keeping a close eye to stop any shenanigans. Lockhart did no such thing and Harry and his friends were responding to cheap tricks with some of their own. Harry tried following the procedure Lockhart and his dad had done, counting to three. Pansy had other ideas, shooting a spell at him on "two."

The spell hit him full on and it felt like a cast iron pan had hit him on the head. He quickly followed suit, "Rictumsempra!" causing her to double over laughing to the point of wheezing. Meanwhile, Tracey had hit Draco with 'Tarantallegra' and he was jerkily dancing. Both Blaise and Rivers had disarmed each other and dissolved into another fist fight. Lockhart had finally decided to step in, making his way both to Blaise and Rivers and Padma and Milicent, the beefy girl trapping her in a headlock. Severus got there first, dispelling both Pansy and Draco and separating the students getting physical with a wave of his wand. "Forty points from Slytherin, Milicent, Blaise. And twenty from Ravenclaw, Rivers. Padma, kindly take the two boys and yourself to the hospital wing."

Lockhart finally reached them, observing the pandemonium with a frown, "Perhaps I should teach you all how to _block_ unfriendly spells." he said, looking right into Severus' dark eyes glinting dangerously, before clearing his throat and glancing away.

"A volunteer pair, then," Severus interrupted, "Harry, why don't you pair with Draco?"

"Nonsense, Professor Snape. Harry is already paired with Ms. Parkinson. I see no reason to rearrange them."

Flitwick coughed loudly and Severus begrudgingly said nothing. Waving Harry on after muttering in his ear, "Protego."

Both of them jumped up onto the stage and Lockhart joined them, "Now, watch, you two," He did a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped his wand in the process. Harry looked down at his dad and friends incredulously, Hermione surreptitiously showing him the right movement, "Whoops! My wand is a little over excited."

Not missing the opportunity to have Lockhart further embarrass himself, Harry asked innocently, "Could you show me that blocking movement, again, 'Professor'?"

Pansy misunderstood, whispering to Harry in a mocking tone, "Scared?"

"You wish." Harry replied just as quietly as Lockhart repeated it, sadly not dropping his wand this time.

The two second-years went to either side of the stage, raising their wands, and waiting for the countoff. Lockhart got to three and Pansy immediately yelled, "Serpensortia!"

Fully prepared to perform a shield charm, Harry was surprised that instead of anything coming directly at him, a long black snake fell out of the tip of her wand. The people that had crowded the stage scrambled back when the snake reared its head.

"Harry, stand still!" Severus ordered, already at the stairs onto the stage.

Lockhart simple hopped up from where he was and said, "Not to worry, Harry. I'll take care of it." He jerked his wand at it, a loud bang sounded, and rather than vanishing, the snake was flung into the air. It landed with a smack and slithered to Justin, who was blocked from backing up further. It reared its head again and was about to lunge when Harry panicked and shouted, "_Stop. Leave him alone!" _

The snake wavered, turning its head to Harry briefly before deciding its anger was more satisfying and focused back on Justin, slithering even closer. Severus stopped before it could it could lunge, shooting a Freezing Charm at it. Harry turned to Justin to ask him if he was alright as his dad conjured a bag to put the snake in but Justin spoke first, "What are you playing at?!"

There were multiple sounds of agreement and suspicious mutterings and murmurings as Severus took Harry by an elbow and ushered him out of the Great Hall. They were hardly around the corner when Draco and Blaise joined them, both pale and shooting Harry an odd expression. They got to their rooms after dealing with the obstacle of Peeves messing with them before Severus threatened with him the Baron. Severus busied himself with taking care of the snake first while Draco and Blaise finally explained their faces.

"Why didn't you tell us you could talk to snakes?"

"I didn't think it was out of the ordinary! Dad said that most young wizards manifest magic that way. It wasn't just snakes that I played with!"

"Well, sure. We all did. But we never did it in Parseltongue!" Draco argued.

"What?"

"You weren't speaking English, mate," Blaise told him.

Severus seemed to have determined the species of the snake as being non-dangerous now that it wasn't angry and handed it to Blaise, who kept snakes, his pet here being a green python, "When you were younger, you did seem to have a particular affinity to snakes. At least in the way that they were the most frequent animal that came to you. I thought nothing of it, but now I think I should have seen it."

"So, what? Now I'm a Dark Wizard?"

"Please, Harry. I've never even seen you jinx anyone. You used a tickling charm on Pansy after she hexed you, for Merlin's sake. The closest you've come to being mean was calling that idiot what he is, a daft dimbo. If you're a Dark Wizard, Neville and Terry might as well be, too." Draco scoffed.

"Quite right. I will warn you of the fallout of this discovery, however. Many will now think you as being the Heir of Slytherin."

"See if the gits do," Blaise burst out, handing Harry the snake when he seemed inclined, "If any one of us are the Heir, it's more likely that it's me, who wishes he could take to snakes and is in that Founder's House. Or Draco, who's descended from two long lines of Slytherins."

"Hey!"

"None of you are the heir of Slytherin. As you said, Blaise, you aren't a Parselmouth. Draco, if either the Blacks or Malfoys were actually descended from Salazar Slytherin, trust me, it would be known. And speaking of lineage, the Potters have been Gryffindors for time immemorial."

That assurance was the only thing that bolstered the three boys' spirits as the holiday break came closer. Most of their friends copied Draco in thinking Harry as the Heir of Slytherin was utterly ridiculous. Hannah and Dean were the only ones that didn't, Michael sticking with Dean. Harry couldn't blame them too much, Hannah was friends with Justin and Dean was a Muggle-born. He was expecting Hermione and Georgiana to react the same, being Muggleborns as well, but he was relieved when they didn't. The negative attention did make Harry retreat back into himself, the evenings spent in his old haunt increasing. He wasn't the only one that seemed to feel terrible and isolated, Ginny walking around hollow-eyed and distraught. Blaise filled them in that Collin, the boy that had been Petrified, was a good friend of hers. Fred and George took on the task of cheering them both up, especially when they found Percy bullying Ginny into silence over something. They had changed his Prefect badge to read Priss and took to escorting Harry class to class, saying, "Watch out for the Heir of Slytherin." and "Make way! Seriously dangerous and Dark wizard coming through!"


	7. Valentine's Day

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

Neither attempt worked and Harry went home to Ymborth in the lowest spirits ever, not even excited for Christmas. He was slightly cheered to see Capriccio again, who was still in a burrowing phase, and to introduce him to his newest pet. The snake from the Dueling Club had proved particularly devoted to Harry, and Blaise trusted the whipsnake to him, especially when Medusa (his python) took a dislike to him. Harry had the snake, Apollo, out to explore when everyone showed up, as Severus was hosting this year. Alanna was the one that picked both boys up from the station and had come straight here. Draco and Narcissa joined them the next morning, Kingsley accompanying the mother and son once again. Draco seemed to have finally warmed up slightly to him. Narcissa's sister and her family followed that afternoon. Georgiana's parents were quite fascinated to see a Wizarding home and Theo was astounded he had convinced his dad to let him and his sister escape Starside. The Patils and MacDougals came as well. And the group was rounded out by the Weasleys. Charlie and Tonks quickly became thick as thieves, Severus took one look at the eldest Weasley boy and finally understood Harry's sudden and continuing request to get his ears pierced. Percy and Ron hadn't come, Percy electing to stay at Hogwarts and Ron getting permission to go to Seamus'. By the time they were going out to finish their shopping, Severus was very glad that he had kept many of Harry's toys, being bombarded with five kids under the age of ten. Christmas morning came three days after the shopping and they decided to split into separate families for it. It was nearly the same group as last year, the only additions being Theo and Electra, and the only one missing being Remus (who was spending the holidays with his dad). To Tonks' displeasure, the order was decided by age, youngest first. Not really knowing Electra, they all got the nine year old somewhat generic gifts. Harry and Draco's stood out amongst them besides Theo's, who had gotten her a ruby necklace. Harry had given her a bottle of ink that would change color based on the weather and glass earrings that changed color based on her mood. Draco had gifted a carving of her favorite animal and of a juggler. The rest of the group had gotten her porcelain jesters that Theo had said she collected. Harry was next, having been born the latest of the four boys. Theo, Electra, Kingsley, Andromeda, Ted, and Tonks had all gotten him bows and picks for his instruments, some normal, others in expensive materials, and others enchanted. Alanna and Blaise's gift revolved around Harry's newest pet. Alanna had given him two books, one about care and the other about snake species. Blaise gave him some ointments for the scales and overall health of Apollo. Narcissa focused on his other pets, gifting a new toy for Madrigal, a swaddling blanket that she said was recommended for travel and general anxiety for Batty Koda, and some raw jewels for Capriccio's burrow that she assured him she had gotten at a steal from a Ministry auction, hinting that they might have been part of Lucius' fines. Draco's gift was next, another carving, this one being Batty hanging upside down to sleep, opening his wings intermittently at loud sounds. Severus was last, giving a gift that nearly trumped all the others. It was a box that opened to a small enchanted tree of the Potter family, each branch being a member and each flower of leaf showing marriages. Blaise's gifts were Quidditch and puzzle-themed, Draco's gifts, unlike last year, we're all centered around woodcarving. Theo was lavished with presents, each person giving him at least two, like they had Electra. The rest of the gift opening was spent with nearly all of the kids absorbed in their new things, Theo being the only one watching the rest of the openings. Electra had put the earrings from Harry in and was contorting her face to try to get them to change color, her excitement over the holiday keeping them a bright orange. Blaise was absorbed in the most complicated looking puzzle block, and Draco was finishing a carving that looked like Mrs. Norris. Harry was alternating between reading the new book of snake species and the family tree when him and Blaise looked up to watch one of the last presents, something for Alanna from Severus. Their interest was mainly over the fact that Blaise had helped him with the gift, with the result of them quickly looking away as Alanna expressed her gratitude with exuberant kisses. Instead they looked at each other, both seeming to come to the same conclusion that the curse was likely broken by now, Harry being confided in that the word 'love' had been used multiple times and that Severus was thinking of taking the biggest step soon. The next few hours were spent with board games and further gift exchanges (nearly everyone getting a sample of Molly's knitting). Alanna, Molly, Andromeda, and Harry busied themselves in the kitchen, trying to block Tonks' well-intentioned but clumsy attempts to help and everyone else coming in to sneak snacks of the food as it was completed. The rest of the holidays passed even quicker than last year, but wasn't any shorter on good memories made. The entirety of Hogwarts seemed to have just as good of a break, for the matter of Harry being the Heir of Slytherin wasn't mentioned at all, besides one half-hearted and ultimately ignored effort by the Ghouls. Even Ginny seemed to have put it to the back of her mind, not as downtrodden, though Harry noticed that she no longer wrote in her diary. Ashewood delivered some news as January came to a close, Cho had bowed out of the team, as she was in the process of becoming an Animagus in McGonagall's Transfiguration Club. Stephen was her reserve and the weeks leading up to the match was the team acclimating to the change. Two days before February, Harry was coming in with one of those practices, Draco opting to go to the lake with Luna rather than join him, when he reached the corridor that the message (Filch still had yet to find anything to remove it, though he was in a better mood from a wooden miniature of his cat left on his desk). He froze when he rounded the corner, for there was Justin on the ground, petrified, and the Gryffindor ghost, Sir Nicholas, was floating next to him, his head off as much as it could be and blackened inside. He was leaning over to pick up a familiar looking diary right next to Justin when the caretaker appeared from behind a tapestry, chasing Peeves. Peeves halted, acting out-of-character by being stunned into silence. It didn't last long, for soon he was bellowing at the top of his lungs as he raced away, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTACK!"

McGonagall was the one to find him first, Ernie following her, probably having been in the office to notify her of Justin's absence.

"Justin knew. He knew he was next when you egged that snake on to attack him."

"I didn't! I told the snake to leave him alone!"

"Codswallop! Why else would you keep it, then?"

"Enough, both of you. Argus, kindly carry Mr. Finch-Fletchley to the hospital wing. Macmillan, follow him with Sir Nicholas," Minerva ordered, conjuring a fan for the purpose before turning to Harry, "Come with me, Harry."

She led him straight to Dumbledore's office, the gargoyle leaping aside at, "Sherbert Lemon." McGonagall bustled off, telling Harry over her shoulder that she would send Severus as soon as she found him. Harry stepped onto the rotating staircase, resigned. He reached the room to find Hagrid in there, swinging a dead chicken, "This is the fourth one killed this year. It must be a blood-sucking Bugbear. Will ya let me spell the coop?"

Dumbledore was in the middle of agreeing when he spotted Harry, "There's been another attack, hasn't there?"

Hagrid seemed to catch quickly on as to why Harry would be in there if there, indeed, had been and went on a tirade assuring Harry's innocence, promising to testify that in front of the Ministry. Dumbledore had to magnify his voice with his wand to cut him off, "I don't think Harry has attacked anyone, Hagrid."

"Oh. Righ' then." Hagrid muttered awkwardly before sidling out of the room, using his dust-bin-lid hands to pat Harry on the back, almost causing his knees to buckle.

Dumbledore remained sitting, saying nothing and just staring at him. Harry cleared his throat and broke the silence, "You don't think it was me, sir?"

"No, I do not, Harry. But I have been wishing to talk with you. Is there something you wish to tell me?" Dumbledore said, looking at Harry with his piercing blue eyes.

Harry never got the opportunity to answer, Severus banging the door open, "What is the meaning of this, Albus? You assured me that you didn't think Harry responsible."

"I don't, Severus." Dumbledore sighed, leading him out to talk further. Harry took the opportunity to explore a little. The last time he was here, he had just almost died and so didn't quite pay attention to his surroundings. The first thing he came across was the Sorting Hat, resting on the top of a shelf.

"Bee in your bonnet, Potter?" It asked, making him jump.

"Given everything, I guess I'm wondering if you put me in the right House."

"Of course I did. Cunning and courage are choices, boy. If you were meant for the snake's nest or the lion's den, you would have known, and thus I would have."

Harry wasn't sure about believing that completely but at least he had the Hat on his side. He wandered back to the desk and finally caught site of the other living thing in the room. It was a dreadful looking Phoenix and Harry was wondering how close it was to its burning day when it caught fire. Dumbledore came back in, without Severus, just when the only thing that remained was the pile of ash it would rise from again

Dumbledore sat before dismissing him, leaving one last question of anything he wanted to share, waving him off when Harry shook his head. All the blame at Harry that had gone over the holiday break was back worse than ever. All of Hufflepuffs were either being rude in avoiding him or were heckling him outright. The only students in yellow that were still on his side were Gee and Hermione. Smiles were scarce as February began. Most of the professors were increasing homework with exams now on the horizon and Lockhart now seemed too scared to bother Harry, as he no longer made him be in front of the class as they re-enacted parts of the books. That didn't stop him from being his usual self, however, and soon he was making an announcement during lunch of a plan to cheer everyone up. One morning, everyone came down to breakfast to find the Great Hall covered in large pink flowers and hearts. Given the distracting shade of robes he was wearing, it was obvious as to who and why. They all sat down and had to wipe confetti away before dishing themselves up. Lockhart waited until the Great Hall was completely full before announcing, "Happy Valentine's Day! Thank you to everyone that has already sent me a card! I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"

He clapped his hands and about a dozen dwarves entered, not looking at all pleased. Lockhart had them dressed up in white togas, gold wings, and fake harps.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids! They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines. And the fun doesn't stop there! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why don't you ask Professor Snape," he paused here, probably to gulp, "to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, you sly old dog!"

Flitwick buried his face in his hands, likely to hide his eye roll and Severus had an expression that fully conveyed if anyone actually dared to ask him about a Love Potion, they would lose serious points for their House. Since it was Sunday, many of the students scattered to the winds but unfortunately, Harry wasn't one of them. All the second years were assigned to one on ones with some of the professors to discuss the electives and extracurriculars that would be available to them next year. Since they were making use of Minerva's large office, they were all gathered in the courtyard to wait. Some of the older students and the first years were there to keep their siblings and friends company, as well. Theo had just been called in when another dwarf showed up, shouting, "Oy, you! 'Arry Potter!"

Harry looked in horror as it started towards him and he immediately jumped up and tried making a run for the bathroom. He had only gotten a few paces when the dwarf caught up to him, "I've got a musical message to deliver to 'arry Potter in person." He growled, plucking a string threateningly.

Harry didn't slow down and he was nearly to the corridor when Rivers stuck a foot out, making him stumble and the dwarf got a hold of his bag, "Let me go!"

The dwarf did not and his bag split with a loud tearring sound, his books, parchment, and quills spilled onto the ground, the bottles of ink smashing over it all. He was tempted to leave the things there and continue to escape but Theo coming back blocked his closest exit. Theo bent down to help pick up his things and Harry grudgingly joined him. At seeing Lockhart come towards them to retrieve the newest student, Harry once again tried making a run for it but the dwarf tackled him and sat on his legs.

"Here is your singing Valentine, then." the dwarf huffed before breaking out in song, "_His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad. His hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he's really divine. The hero that conquered the Dark Lord." _

Lockhart was chuckling and said something about Harry's 'fame' reaching new heights. Pansy was next but rather than joining him right away, she snatched the diary Harry had absentmindedly forgotten about, "Wonder what you've written in this, Potter?"

Fred and George had joined them, also helping Harry with his things, sponging the ink away with their wands and repairing his bag. Ginny was still sitting with the rest and looked horrified over the book as Pansy held it up. At her taunt, the twins stood and said simultaneously, "Give it back to him."

"After I've had a look at it," She crowed, starting to open it.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry saying the first spell that came to mind, and the diary zoomed away from her straight into Theo's hands.

Severus was standing where Lockhart had been, having come to see what the holdup was and scolded, "I am really quite tired of taking points from my own House, Parkinson, so detention. Now come along. You alright, Harry?" he asked before escorting the Slytherin girl away when Harry nodded.

Fred and George had just finished cleaning the last of the textbooks and went to do the same to the diary. But it didn't need it. There wasn't a splotch or streak of ink anywhere on its pages. Shrugging it off, thinking the bottle must have missed it somehow, Harry shoved it back into his bag without a second thought.


	8. Acromantulas

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

It wasn't long before Harry was next and the incident was overshadowed by his renewed excitement. He opened the door of Minerva's office and sighed in relief. Lockhart was gloriously missing from the group of professors. His dad was there, Minerva, and the Head of his House.

"Let's go over courses first. Now, there are two time slots of electives to replace your Study period. You can pick two from each slot, and if you do, you will receive a Time Roller at the start of term. The rules will be explained then as well." Minerva began, smiling warmly.

"The first set of options are Ancient Runes, which is learning that alphabet, translating texts, composing your own lines in it, and so forth. I think you would enjoy it, I know you've had your eyes on some musical pieces composed in Runes and Sheda would be more than happy to help you with them." Severus continued.

Flitwick took over for the second, "The other is Arithmancy. It is a rather difficult course but holds its own appeal. It entails calculating the future, in a way. And many predictions from this form of scrying have proved accurate, down to minute detail. The maths involved might appeal to you."

"And the last one I'm sure you won't enjoy at all. Standard Divination is largely guesswork as the occurrence of True Seers are uncommonly rare, usually only one, if any, occurring every generation. I've known you since you were a baby. Not only do you not seem to be the type to want to know exactly what the future would hold, you're much too practical to excel in so wooly of a subject." McGonagall finished, sniffing disdainfully at the class she was discussing.

"Ultimately, it's up to you. What do you think?" Severus concluded, all three looking at him expectantly.

"I'll go with Ancient Runes. You're right, ma'am. I have no interest in knowing what lies ahead, takes the mystery of it all away."

"Excellent. Now the remaining elective. Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, or both."

"You have experience with some of the non-magical world and its products, I've seen to that. But it might still be interesting for you to take Muggle Studies."

"And as I'm understanding, you're acquiring quite the variety of animals so Care of Magical Creatures might appeal to you."

Harry decided on only taking Care of Magical Creatures and they moved onto languages, Severus once again taking the lead, "I don't think Chinese would suit you. French, Italian, and Latin would help in the Classical world. Greek and Hebrew will help with Ancient Runes. You know the teacher for Gobbledegook and I believe you'll like the teacher taking over for Duarte in Mermish."

Harry had already thought about it and answered without hesitation, "Mermish. Definitely."

"Well, that's your schedule settled. Now the only thing left is extracurriculars. I do not extend this to every student, but I believe you have the capacity for it. I would like to invite you to join my club and take on the process of becoming an Animagus. Severus, of course, has already okayed it," Minerva said, reading Harry's hesitation correctly, "I've made it a new requirement that should you join my club, it will mean you not seeking your continuance in Quidditch, at least for the year. Still interested?"

Not particularly attached to Quidditch, he agreed to the condition and Minerva beamed. Filius was next in recruiting him, "I see no reason that this should mean you can't join my orchestra. You don't even have to audition, I've heard your extraordinary talent already. You'll have your pick of a position in the string section."

"I was going to invite you for my own club, but perhaps your fourth year, once you're an Animagus." Severus chuckled, not upset in the slightest at the two Professors poaching him before he could.

Flitwick accompanied Harry out, seeing the next name and making sure no further arguments would occur. Harry went to the common room to drop of his things before heading back to the courtyard to continue keeping Blaise company, taking his guitar with him.

The Ravenclaws trooped up to their tower to rid themselves of their bags, Harry his instrument, and go back down to dinner, lunch having been provided in the courtyard. The six second-year boys entered their dorm to find it trashed. Books and clothes were strewn all over the place and more than one curtain had been pulled askew. Harry's area was the worst, his trunk opened and its contents jumbled on the floor and his bed. They all chipped in to pick everything up, or at least divide the mess to their respective owners. Blaise was already sitting with Luna, trying to act interested in her explanation of wrackspurts, when Draco and Harry got to the table and told him what had happened. Hermione had joined them tonight, and listened intently to the following conversation.

"Was anything missing?"

"That diary. I don't see the interest. Nothing can be written in it, it would just absorb the ink. What I want to know is if this has anything to do with the Chamber being open."

They went on to discuss all they knew about it, the myth they had learned from Binns after the second attack, thanks to Hermione, and they lowered their voice to discuss the possible culprits. Severus had told them of Hagrid's unfortunate record, but none of them believed he would continue to support a creature if it seriously hurt someone. Harry mentioned Hagrid's roosters and placed further doubt of him being the culprit, also pointing out that if he really was the one responsible, why he waited so long to continue. He had been Groundskeeper for decades and the attacks had not continued until this year. The one thing that frustrated Harry the most was what that voice he kept hearing meant, Hermione jumping up when he mentioned it, sprinting out of the Great Hall with a parting, "I need to check something in the library."

Ashewood was leading them down to the Quidditch pitch the next weekend when McGonagall came from the field looking serious, "This match is canceled."

"You can't cancel Quidditch!" Orion burst out, distraught.

"Silence, Ashewood. There's been another attack and the Cup has been forfeited for all teams. All of you go up to your own House's box and wait there to be escorted back to your common room."

They did as she said, Orion actually reaching the point of tears at the news. Harry was the last to follow but McGonagall stopped him, "I will be taking you straight to the hospital wing, Harry. The rest of your friends are already there."

Once he got there, he saw why. Hermione was laying on a bed, Petrified with a scared expression on her face. Harry's stomach dropped to his knees as he heavily sat on the nearest surface, which turned out to be someone else sitting on the bed next to hers. He stood quickly and apologized to Terry, who was too distraught to register any of it, his attention fully on his best friend.

"I've asked everyone else, she was carrying this when we found her. Is it yours or mean anything to you?"

Harry looked at the mirror Minerva was carrying and shook his head, finding an empty spot. McGonagall let it sink in a little bit more before ushering the majority to their common rooms. Blaise had already left with a sobbing Ginny and the Transfiguration professor didn't have the heart to argue much over Harry, Georgiana, and Terry insisting on staying. Percy tumbled in after everyone ad left and slumped into a seat himself, though next to the other victim, the newest Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope. Harry observed the exchange numbly, not really caring that his suspicions of them dating were being confirmed. Severus brought them up lunch and dinner, and Poppy provided them pajamas close to lights out. Draco and Blaise snuck in shortly after the last torch was extinguished, using Harry's Cloak. All of them didn't talk though, all of them just staring at Hermione again. Draco squinted at one of her hands and whispered the spell to ignite his wand. The rest of the students gathered around him, seeing the paper crumpled in her hand as he had. Terry was the one to pull it out, careful to not tear it. It turned out to be a page from a book. It was about basilisks and Hermione had scribbled along the edges two things.

Pipes.

and

Talk to Moaning Myrtle.

They discussed the discovery until they heard Pomfrey stir in her office, all of them returning to the beds they had vacated and fell asleep. Poppy woke them up in the morning and raised her eyebrows over the addition of two more students but said nothing. Sprout arrived soon after to take them down to breakfast, explaining the new rules and curfew. Hagrid was missing from the staff table, and to everyone's panic, so was Dumbledore. Severus was bombarded by the group before he could leave and he reluctantly took them to any empty classroom to explain, thinking they deserved some explanation given their friend laying Petrified four floors above. The four boys accompanied him further to his rooms and Severus told them the events of the night in greater detail. They mentioned nothing of the plans forming in their heads, thinking of other things until he left them at the stairs of Ravenclaw Tower, the common room being the go to Inter-House hang out a poorly kept secret. Class continued, McGonagall wishing to keep the peace during her stint as Headmistress, did everything she could to keep Lockhart from being the escort for the second years. Most bowed out of physically participating in the plan. It took them two weeks to arrange their stint to the forest to "follow the spiders." After nearly being eaten by a horde of Acromantulas, Theo and Blaise bowed out from the scheming. The remaining four snuck into the bathroom that held Moaning Myrtle two weeks after that, slipping away from the group as they were taken to lunch. They had just confirmed that the bathroom held the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets when McGonagall's voice rang out from everywhere. "All students return to your dormitories. All staff return to the staffroom."

They all looked at each other and nodded, Harry taking the Cloak out of his pocket and throwing it all of them. They sidled out of the bathroom and slipped into the room right after a group of three teachers. They slid to a large china cabinet and plastered themselves against the wall. McGonagall was one of the last to arrive, announcing to the silent room, "It has happened. A student had been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."

Nearly all the teachers either looked further scared or further concerned, Severus' fists were clenched, "Are you sure, Minerva?"

Minerva nodded grimly, her face gone very pale, "The Heir of Slytherin left another message. Right underneath the first one. _Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever_."

Some of the more sensitive teachers burst into tears and many others sank weak-kneed onto the closest chair or table.

"Who is it?" Madam Hooch asked, swaying slightly before sitting as well, "Which student?"

"Ginny Weasley," Both Harry and Draco had to stifle noises at the announcement, and Severus looked sharply right where they were standing. Harry nudged Draco and they tried making their minds as blank as possible, "We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow. This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledora always said…"

The staffroom door banged open again and Lockhart flounced in, beaming, "So sorry, dozed off. What have I missed?"

He didn't seem to notice that there was not one friendly face to receive him, nearly all looking at him with hateful expressions, the rest diluted to strong dislike. Severus grinned wolfishly, "Just the man. They every man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment had come at last."

Lockhart blanched and the effort of keeping their minds blank completely dissolved, all of them trying to not shake with laughter.

"That's right, Gilderoy," Mrs. Sprout said, "Weren't you saying just light that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

Lockhart just spluttered, Flitwick joining in next, "Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?"

A few other teachers added their piece before coming back to Severus, "I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," Harry snorted, covering his mouth in horror, "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given free rein from the first?"

Lockhart looked around at the stony-faced staff, trying to find support somewhere, "I - I really never… You may have misunderstood -," there was none.

McGonagall looked at the cabinet as well when Georgiana let out a small snigger before saying, "We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy. Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last."

Lockhart desperately looked again for any support and didn't look remotely handsome anymore. Trembling his lips in fear made him look weak-chinned and feeble, "Very well. I'll.. be in my office. Getting - Getting ready." He practically fled out of the room.

McGonagall sniffed in disdain, "That should keep him out from under our feet. Pomona, Filius, please go and inform your students what has happened. Have them prepare to be taken home first thing tomorrow morning. Nestor, please do so to Severus' house, Cyrus, my own. Severus and I will really be the ones to find Ginny." McGonagall instructed, waiting for the room to completely empty of all but her and Severus before turning to the cabinet and saying, "Please take the Cloak off, now, Harry, Draco, and whoever else in under there with you."


	9. Wandlore

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

Harry did so, knowing that they were caught. Before either professor could begin lecturing, he blurted, "We know what's in the Chamber, Dad. It's a Basilisk."

Both the adults started and Severus said, "I shouldn't be surprised you lot figured it out. Continue."

"Hermione was the one to figure it out. The day after Hagrid was arrested and Dumbledore was suspended, we talked about everything and she got an idea and raced to the library."

"She wouldn't tell me what she was thinking. Wanted to be sure, she said, before she told me." Terry added before letting Harry continue.

"When we were spending the night in the hospital, Draco saw something in her hand," McGonagall just sighed slightly at hearing that a student had come back against the rules, "It was a page from a book, explaining about a basilisk. She had written how it was moving around without being seen, 'Pipes'. Which explains not only why it was just me that can hear it but why it was coming from the walls. She also wrote 'Talk to Moaning Myrtle'. We followed Hagrid's advice of follow the spiders, Dad, and confirmed without a doubt that it wasn't him that opened the Chamber the first time. And just know we talked to Myrtle, she said she died in the bathroom and pointed to the sink that the snake had come out of."

"Well. That answers why she had the mirror with her. And all the other attacks, the water, the ghost, none of them looked directly into the Basilisk's eyes. It's by sheer luck that there _were_ no deaths."

"Where has your common sense been, Harry? You should have come to me. Be sure if this sort of behavior continues here, I will pull you from school and lock you up in Ymborth until the day you turn seventeen." Severus burst out, his strictness more intense than last year when he learned that Harry had gone into the dungeon of obstacles after Voldemort, "As it is, I have no choice but to take you with me to the Chamber. But be sure that I will stun you and stash you away should you not follow my instructions to a tee."

"Severus!" Minerva protested, "Absolutely not!"

"We have no choice, Minerva. He's the only one besides the Heir that can speak Parseltongue, which I have a feeling is a key to and in the Chamber."

"Very well, Severus. Given how much you love him, if there was another choice, you would make it. But do take Lockhart with you, after all. He could at least contribute as a shield."

Draco made to follow the father and son but both teachers put their foot down. McGonagall was not going to let another student fall into danger, and Severus was not going to betray Narcissa by leading her son into a deadly situation. It was bad enough that Harry's presence was so necessary. They got to Lockhart's office to find him packing.

"Going somewhere, Lockhart?"

"Urgent call - unavoidable - must go."

"You are still employed at this school. It is your responsibility to see to the safety of _every_ student."

"I must say - when I took the job - nothing in the description -"

"You're running away?" Harry asked, not at all surprised, "What about all the stuff you did in your books?"

"Books can be misleading!"

"You wrote them!"

"Do use your common sense, my dear boy. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think _I'd_ done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a harelip. I mean, come on -"

"So you've taken credit for others' work. How surprising, " Severus said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Now wait just a minute, it's not nearly as simple as that. There was work involved. I had to track the people down. Ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did."

"Yes, yes, I don't wish to hear exactly how you became a fraud." Severus cut him off, "You are still obligated to join me in rescuing a student. So, is there anything you _can_ do?"

"Yes, actually there is. I'm rather gifted with Memory Charms. Else I would have been discovered long before this. So, er, I'm afraid, now that you know, I'm going to have to do the same to you." Lockhart said slowly, turning with his wand to find two raised nose level at him.

They had him leave his wand, herding him to the bathroom. They got there without incident and Harry found the right sink, a snake inscribed on the back of the faucet. With some practice from speaking the language with Apollo he had no trouble switching to tell it to open with a hiss. The sinks moved to reveal a dark tunnel that seemed to be nearly vertical. Severus told Harry to don his Cloak before gesturing Lockhart to go first.

"You really don't seem to need me." he tried, trying to inch to the door.

"No, we really do. Now go."

He offered no further arguments, reluctantly sliding into the hole one limb at a time. Finally descending with a whimper. Severus went next, and Harry quickly followed when Severus called up the all clear. Harry righted the cloak at the bottom and looked around. The walls were ribbed stone and dripping with water, various rat and other animal skeletons scattered the ground. They continued along, coming up to a very long snake skin. Already knowing about the Basilisk, Harry and Severus weren't all that surprised to see the size of it. But it made Lockhart faint.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Severus muttered, walking over to him with his wand drawn to revive him.

Lockhart leaped up as he came within distance and snatched his wand from him. Harry moved forward, his own wand drawn under the cloak, halting when Lockhart held the wand up to his dad's throat, "Come out, Potter." Harry complied, "Drop your wand. That's it. The adventure ends here. I'll take some of the skin back up and say I was too late to save the girl. And that, for all your supposed bravery, you both tragically lost your minds at seeing her mangled body. Say goodbye to your memories," Lockhart sneered, raising Severus' wand and shouting, "Obliviate!"

The wand exploded with the force of a barrel of gunpowder and Harry quickly bent down to grab his wand before delving further into the Chamber to avoid a large chunk of the ceiling falling on him. The avalanche stopped and a wall of rock was now blocking him from the entrance, "DAD?!"

"I'm alright, Harry. This git isn't and neither is my wand. No one ever bothers to study wandlore. Me and that blackthorn stick have been through too much. It would have never worked for anyone but me. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I grabbed my wand before everything fell. What now?"

"I don't know, Harry. I don't want to risk you trying an advanced spell in case it gets away from you and adds more rubble." They both were silent for a moment and both were coming to far different conclusions, "I'll have to go back up and get more help. You wait here."

"I'm going on. Ginny could be seriously hurt right now. She can't wait." Harry said in response, ignoring Severus' protests. He had started walking away when his dad gave in.

"Wait! Wait, Harry. Alright. The cloak is still on this side so you won't be hidden. So I want you to keep your head down. Don't look up. You remember how to do the full-body-bind and the freezing charm?"

"Yes. And the shield charm."

"Good. At any sign of movement, I want you to cast either of those spells and then shield yourself. We still don't know who the Heir is."

"Okay, Dad. I'll be alright, promise."

"I have no choice but to pray you're right. I love you, imp."

"I love you too, Dad. I'll see you soon."

It wasn't long before Harry got to another door, this one opening into a large chamber, a towering stone statue of Salazar Slytherin casting a long shadow. Harry put his wand in his back pocket and raced to the statue when he saw Ginny at its feet. She looked particular ghost-like, the wavering green light of the place reflecting on her pale face, "Ginny. Please don't be dead. Please wake up!" Harry said, taking her shoulders and gently shaking her. Her head limply rolled with the movement, she was completely unconscious.

"She won't wake." A soft voice said from behind and Harry swirled to face it.

The voice came from a tall, black-haired boy leaning against a pillar, looking more ghost-like than Ginny as he blurred around the edges. Harry reached his hand back to grab his wand but looking further, the strange Hogwarts student was twirling it in his hands.

"Who are you? And what do you mean she won't wake?"

"My name is Tom Riddle. You once had possession of my diary."

"And Ginny? Is she -"

"She's not dead, but only just." The boy replied, walking forward and Harry noticed his robes were different, Harry concluding he must have been an old student.

"Are you a ghost?"

"A memory. Preserved in that diary for fifty years. How I wish you had kept it longer when you had found it. Wrote in it, so I could meet you." Riddle pointed near Ginny and Harry saw the black leather book that he finally recognized as the diary Ginny had been writing in all year.

"Why would you want to meet me?"

"Well, let's see. I wanted to determine how you, a skinny boy with seemingly no extraordinary magical talent, managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time. How did _you_ escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

Harry was listening with one ear, focusing more on Ginny and the Chamber, things clicking in place, "It was you, wasn't, that opened the Chamber fifty years ago? It was never Hagrid."

"Of course if wasn't Hagrid! The brainless oaf couldn't conceive of the cunning it took to get away with it. I framed him when that useless Mudblood died and the school nearly closed. I fooled everyone, except -"

"Dumbledore? I bet he saw right through you." Harry taunted, mostly trying to buy time for Severus to come with more support.

The wavering figure spat on the floor, "He kept a close enough watch on me that I was not able to open the Chamber again for the rest of my schooling. But that's besides the point. You can't imagine my excitement when the silly girl wrote of Harry Potter. I thought making her repeat my work would somehow lead me to you. It was the only thing that kept me motivated, having to hear the endless drivel of an eleven-year-old blood-traitor. The only other highlight was the fear she poured into the pages when I began using her," The older boy laughed a high, cold laugh that didn't match his appearance. It seemed oddly familiar and caused the hairs on the back of Harry's neck to stand up on end.

"Why do you care? Voldemort was after your time."

"Voldemort," said Riddle almost reverently, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter," he finished, spitting the name like an insult, and attempting to use his wand. Riddle had to write the letters of his name twice to get them to appear. He waved the wand and the words started rearranging themselves.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

As it formed the last word, Riddle dropped Harry's wand with a pained yell, the wand having grown hot enough to cause blisters. Harry tried lunging for it but Riddle kicked it away.

"There, you see. The name I had adopted before I left this place. I wouldn't use my filthy Muggle father's name longer than necessary. I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself? No. I fashioned myself a new name. A name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

"You're not," Harry replied quietly, standing his ground.

"Not what?" Riddle snapped.

"I can name many wizards and witches that far exceed anything you can do. Narcissa Black, a witch you would call a blood-traitor, that would strip you bare in moments and Albus Dumbledore, the wizard that made you cower in fear. You never had the nerve to face him."

Tom Riddle's eyes tinged red as he snarled, "Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the _mere_ memory of me!"

"They all have something you never will! Courage!" Harry yelled back.

Riddle had moved close, looming over him, when music started coming from somewhere. Riddle turned away from him to look down the empty Chamber. The music grew louder, making Harry's heart feel as if it was swelling to twice its size. The unearthly melody reach such a pitch that Harry felt it vibrating through his bones as two flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillars. Two phoenixes had appeared, each of their golden talons clutching something. As they flew towards Harry, he recognized one of them as being Hestia, Narcissa's phoenix. He held out his arms and both of them landed on the offered perches after dropping their burdens at his feet. He looked down to see his wand and the Sorting Hat.

"Those are phoenixes," Riddle said blankly, "And that's the old Sorting Hat." Riddle began to laugh again, loud enough for it to echo off the stone walls, "This is what Dumbledore sends his defender! Songbirds and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"

Harry said nothing, shaking Dumbledore's phoenix off, who flew to Ginny. Now more free to move, he bent down to pick up his wand, Riddle's amusement fading slightly upon seeing it.

"Do you think you could defeat me, Harry? Tell me what I want to know and I might let you and little Ginny live."

Harry thought over his options, thinking that Narcissa might have followed her bird and tried stalling more, "You're spell backfired. My mother died to save me. My common, _Muggle-born_, mother. She stopped you from killing me. And I've seen what you became after that. You're a wreck, barely alive. That's what being the supposed greatest sorceror got you. You're in hiding, ugly, and foul."

Riddle's face contorted in rage before being forced into an awful smile, "So. Your mother died to save you. I can see now. There's nothing special about you, after all. It was merely a lucky chance that saved you from me. That's all I wanted to know." Riddle's twisted smile grew, "I think I'll teach you a little lesson now. Let's match the power of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, with the best weapons your so-called allies could give you: A malfunctioning wand and an old rag."


	10. A Proposal

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

"_Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four._" Riddle said in Parseltongue.

Harry transferred Hestia to his shoulder, turning to look at the statue, clutching the hat and his wand tighter. Slytherin' giant face was moving. Harry saw his mouth opening wider and wider, only stopping when it made a sizeable hole. Harry immediately looked down upon seeing something moving within it, moving particularly snake-like. He shut his eyes when he heard it hit the stone floor. Hestia took off, her wing brushing his cheek right as he heard Riddle command it to kill him. The basilisk started moving towards him and Harry tried pinpointing its exact location to cast either charm to stop its movement. He retreated to a wall, making it so it couldn't get behind him and Voldemort laughed derisively to his left. Thinking that meant the snake would be more to the right, Harry raised his wand as was about to shout the spell when he heard loud hissing above him before something heavy hit him upward, causing him to hit the wall hard and slide down, the rough stone scraping all the exposed skin. Waiting for it to lunge at him, to feel fangs sink into him, he heard more hissing instead, and something thrashing against the pillars. He opened his eyes slightly and slowly roamed his gaze upwards, stopping right before the head. Both phoenixes were diving and swooping around the basilisk, Hestia diving and raking her talons across its face, causing blood to splatter to the floor. The snake turned towards Harry again and he instinctively glanced to where the eyes would be. He panicked but there was nothing to worry about. The birds had succeeded in scratching the reptile's eyes out, no longer was there a threat of instant death.

"_NO_!" Riddle screamed, "_LEAVE_ _THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU! YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM! KILL HIM!_"

The serpent swayed and Harry was scrambling for anything, tapping his wand against the hat absent-mindedly as he thought. The attention that was on the still very dangerous snake was grabbed when Harry felt the Hat contract, like a hand was squeezing it tightly. Something very hard and heavy slid out of the hat directly onto his foot. He hopped slightly but wasted no time in grabbing what proved to be a gleaming silver sword, its handle adorned with large rubies. Riddle continued to scream instructions and the snake started following them, its tongue tasting the air repeatedly. It lunged at Harry and he dodged, it only hitting the wall besides him. It lunged again and Harry felt the tongue lash his side. Harry planted his feet and waited as the basilisk reared again. For the third time, it lunged, straight at him, Harry put all of his weight behind the sword and plunged the sword straight through the roof of its mouth, up to the hilt. But as blood poured from the fatal wound, Harry felt a searing pain just above the elbow of his left arm. One long fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm, breaking off when the serpent fell sideways, twitching before dying entirely. Harry felt against the wall so close to his back and pulled the fang out. But he knew it was too late, feeling the white-hot pain of the poison racing to his heart. His vision was becoming foggy as he weakley dropped the fang and sword. The Chamber was dissolving into an encroaching swirl of dulling color. Flashes of red were the last thing he saw before everything became white.

"You were fantastic, guys," He slurred, feeling something rest on his arm.

Footsteps approached him and Riddle's voice spoke from above, "You're dead, Potter. Even your allies know, they're crying. And I have the pleasure of watching it. Please take your time, I'm in no hurry. So ends the famous Harry Potter."

Like last year, in his final moments, his vision cut to the memory of his mother laughing over her shoulder. He felt guilt. She was dead for nothing now, it seems. Only twelve years of borrowed time. But instead of his vision degrading further, the image of his mum gave way to the room coming back into focus. Harry rubbed his eyes and was able to clearly see both phoenixes resting their heads on his arm. A pearly patch of tears were covering the wound, and Harry watched as it shrunk until there was not even a scar.

"Get away, vermin," Riddle said suddenly, "Get away from him!" Harry looked up to see Riddle holding the sword at Hestia and Fawkes. He swung and both birds took flight in a swirl of gold and scarlet, "Phoenix tears. Of course, I had forgotten. Healing powers. No matter. I prefer it this way. You and me, Harry Potter."

Harry prepared to roll away as Riddle drew the sword back but before he could thrust it forward, Hestia returned, dropping the diary into Harry's lap. Both of them paused and without thinking, Harry grabbed the fang from where he had dropped it and drove it into the heart of the book. The action caused a long, piercing scream. Ink poured out of the pages in torrents, flooding Harry and the floor. The memory of Riddle was writhing and flailing before it vanished in a puff of smoke, the sword falling back onto the floor. Harry looked at the diary and saw that the fang had burned a hole straight through. The most important thing came back to him, and he tossed the diary aside, ignored the sword, and rushed to Ginny. Fawkes was over her, giving her a few tears as well. She stirred and then sat up, her hair wet with ink.

"Harry? Oh, no. It was me. I opened the Chamber! I hurt Mrs. Norris, Collin, Hermione and Percy's girlfriend," she said between sobs.

"It wasn't you, Ginny. It was Tom Riddle. Or, Lord Voldemort, actually. Now let's get out of here. He's gone now, you're safe."

Fawkes took the spot on Harry's shoulder as he grabbed the diary and the sword. Ginny followed, still hiccuping but started to giggle as Hestia tried preening her by running her beak through Ginny's hair the whole way back. They got back to the sight of the rockfall to find a fairly large hole at the top.

"Harry!" Severus called in relief, peeking his head through the opening, "Are you hurt at all?"

"Not anymore. Ginny, go first."

When she was through, he reached up and handed the sword off, sticking the damaged diary in his pocket before climbing through himself. Harry hadn't even reached the last rock on his way down before Severus grabbed him and lifted him into a rib-crushing hug, Harry returning it just as forcefully. It was Lockhart that brought them back to the situation.

"Does _he _live here?" He said, his expression curious and dazed.

"What happened to him?" Ginny asked, not having been there for the Memory Charm debacle.

"His spell backfired when he tried using my wand to do it. His memories are gone, completely. Hasn't got a clue who he is."

They got back to the entrance and wondered how they were all going to get up there. Harry could have probably levitated everyone but that would have left him. The Phoenixes offered the solution. Hestia carried Severus, Harry, and Ginny, Fawkes had Lockhart. As they were flying they heard him say, "Amazing! This is just like magic!"

The evening was spent telling the story at least three times before Poppy shooed everyone out to let the four rest. The next morning, Dumbledore has returned and summoned everyone but Lockhart to his office. Pomfrey grumbled but let them go, taking the opportunity to transport Lockhart to St. Mungo's. They were hardly out of the hospital wing when Alanna came racing towards them. To Harry's surprise she bypassed his dad and went straight to him.

"Oh, I just heard and got here as soon as I could. Thank goodness you're alright!" She said quickly, inspecting him for any damage herself. When she found him completely healthy, her tone turned serious, "Blaise told me all that you did this year, young man. I don't want to hear anymore of you gallivanting off, nearly getting eaten -"

Whatever else she was going to say was interrupted by Severus clearing his throat, on one knee and holding open a ring box, "Will you marry me?"

It was quite awhile until the did manage to make their way to the Headmaster's office. Narcissa had come with Alanna and had thankfully gotten a picture of the moment. Ginny was giggling the whole way, glancing at the amber ring now on Alanna's left ring finger. The good mood lingered as Dumbledore questioned them all. Alanna protested over Dumbledore wishing to talk to Harry alone but Severus assured her and they all left.

"Now, Harry. Is there something you wish to ask me?"

"Yes, sir. I have a couple, actually."

"You may ask me as many as you wish."

"First, I would like to know why my wand stopped working when Voldemort grabbed it from me."

"Ah, yes. Quite an extraordinary answer to that, something even I did not know was possible. Your wand was your mother's, yes?"

"Yes, sir. Ollivander said it would work for me, since I was the son of its first owner."

"Quite. The night your parents died protecting you, we've discussed the protection it placed on you. But the events of the last few days bring something new to light from that day. I believe the Olde Magic did not just get placed in you, I believe it was absorbed into the core of the wand you now currently have loyalty from. Just as Voldemort cannot touch _you_, so can he not use that wand. Only time will tell what else this discovery will mean in your interactions with him. Though I hope this will be the last time you will have to face him."

"I doubt that, sir. But thanks for the sentiment."

Dumbledore chuckled, "And the second question?"

"I was wondering if the Hat placed me in the wrong House."

"You believe it should have been Slytherin or Gryffindor?" Dumbledore clarified, Harry grimly nodding, "I will not lie, you have certain similarities to Tom Riddle. Both of you half-bloods, both of you orphaned young, and both of you Parselmouths. For the first two, I can assure you that those aspects shaped both of you very differently. Voldemort had never known love, and you have plenty in your life. As for the Parseltongue, the answer is simple. When Voldemort tried killing you and thus destroyed himself, I believe some of his powers were transferred onto you. You can speak to snakes because he can."

Harry thought about this and shrugged, knowing whatever similarities they had, they had far more differences, "What about the sword that came out of the Hat? I read what was inscribed on it."

"Ah, yes, the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, how indeed? I believe the answer lies once again with your wand. There will always be an essence of Lily in that wand, and she was very much a Gryffindor, even in her very last moments. Tell me, what were you doing when the sword dropped out of the hat?"

Harry thought back, trying to remember that small detail from the whole fear-filled incident, "I was trying to think what to do… And I was…. Tapping my wand like I usually do when I think."

"Against what? You're leg?"

"No, the Hat. Oh!" Harry exclaimed, finally understanding.

"There, you see. A Slytherin's power bestowed you with Parseltongue and your mother's lingering presence retrieved the Sword. The Sorting Hat might not have been wrong after all, then, hmm?"


	11. A Dirty Sock

**I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.**

Before Harry could respond, the door burst open and Lucius Malfoy stormed in. He was quite ruffled looking and had a few scratches on his face and hands. Knowing that Narcissa was right outside waiting with his dad and Alanna, it wasn't hard to guess why.

"So you've returned. Even though you are still under suspension from the governors."

"I'm afraid you are mistaken, Lucius. The other eleven governors contacted me this morning. It was quite disconcerting to be bombarded by so many owls, I must say. They'd heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed, which was thankfully not true, and wanted me back at once. Other strange tales were in these letters, I must say. Several of them were under the impression that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."

Malfoy turned even paler, if it was possible and changed the subject, "So? Have you stopped the attacks yet? Or caught the culprit?"

"We have," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Well? Who was it then?"

"The same person as last time, Lucius." Dumbledore replied, "But this time he chose another method. He was acting through someone else, by means of this diary," Dumbledore raised the destroyed book up and turned his x-ray vision on Lucius.

Harry was watching this play out with quite a bit of satisfaction when he felt a tug on his robes. He glanced down to find Dobby standing behind him, half in shadow, pointing to the book and then Malfoy before punching himself. Lucius didn't notice this exchange and said slowly, "I see …"

"It was quite a clever plan, I must say." Dumbledore continued, still staring at the other man intensely, "If Harry here -" This brought Malfoy's attention to him at last and Harry surreptitiously shoved Dobby further into the shadows, "and his friends hadn't discovered the truth behind the legend and found the book, why - Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would have ever been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will."

Lucius said nothing, his face being schooled into a very blank mask. Harry now had a grip on both of Dobby's arms and was preventing him from hitting himself any more.

"And imagine what that would have cost the Weasleys, especially Arthur, who I believe is working on passing a new Muggle Protection Act. If his own daughter was discovered attacking and killing Muggle-borns. Yes, it was quite fortunate the diary was discovered and Riddle's memories were wiped from it."

Malfoy choked out, "Very fortunate."

Harry was going over that day in Diagon Alley and remembered that of all the books Malfoy could have picked up, it managed to be one of hers, "Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?"

Lucius rounded on him and slipped up in his anger, "How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?"

"I didn't say you should, I asked if you wanted to. You gave it to her, that day in Diagon Alley. In Flourish and Blotts, you picked her copy of Magical Draughts out of the pile on purpose, didn't you? So you could slip the diary into it."

"Prove it," he hissed.

"Oh, no one will be able to do that, at least officially. Especially now that Riddle has vanished from the book. But I would advise you, Lucius, not to go out giving out any of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more find their way into innocent hands, you might find more unwanted attention on you and your belongings."

For a second it looked as if Malfoy might be reaching for his wand but instead he pivoted and started leaving, "Come, Dobby!" He wrenched open the door as the elf hurried to him and promptly kicked the elf through the door. They could hear Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor and Alanna's angry voice following.

Harry darted his eyes around and his gaze fell on the destroyed diary, "Professor Dumbledore, can I give that diary _back_ to Mr. Malfoy, please?"

"Certainly, Harry. But hurry. Wouldn't want to miss the opportunity for freedom."

Harry grinned, grabbing the book, and racing out, hopping on one foot as he pulled a sock off. Alanna had joined him as he followed Dobby's sounds of pain, steadying him as he did so. He stuffed the diary in the, frankly, filthy sock just as they rounded the corner.

"Malfoy, hold a moment," Alanna called, nodding at Harry when the other adult did.

"I've got something for you, sir," Harry said and forced the dirty sock into his hand.

He ripped off the sock into disgust and threw it off to the side, then looked at the ruined diary he now knew he was holding and back up to Harry, furious, "You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter. They were meddlesome fools too."

"I'd be careful who you threaten, Lucius," Alanna said softly, her wand in her hand, and Harry was thrown off over the quiet danger radiating from the usually sweet woman.

Lucius seemed to sense it too, so he simply sneered and turned to go, "Come, Dobby. I said, _come_."

But Dobby didn't move, staring down in wonder and the sock he was holding in his thin fingers, "Master has given a sock. Master gave it to Dobby. Dobby is free!"

Lucius stood there still for a while before lunging at Harry, "You've lost me my servant, boy!"

Dobby shouted, "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" the same time Alanna shouted, "Stupefy!"

Two stunning spells hit Lucius with a bang and he tumbled down the stairs three at a time, sprawling at the bottom, unconscious.

"Oh, dear," Alanna muttered and Harry couldn't hide his snort at her mild reaction, her grinning over her shoulder as she descended the stairs herself. The resemblence to the memory of his mum made him jolt, and his wand let out a puff of lily-scented mist, like his mum was giving her ok.

"Harry Potter freed Dobby! How can Dobby ever repay him?"

"By promising me one thing."

"Anything, sir."

"Never try to save my life again."

Dobby gave him a cragley smile and Disappareted with Alanna and Narcissa once they had said their goodbyes. Severus and Harry went down to the Great Hall for an early feast, While they went, Severus filled him in that the Mandrake Restorative Draught had finished this morning and Poppy had been applying it everyone Petrified while they were in the Headmaster's office. And that he had sent Batty out last night to order Hagrid's release. Harry had just sat down next to Draco when Hermione and all the other Petrified students came into the Hall. Hermione went straight to them, "Congratulations! You solved it!"

"All thanks to you." Harry said, standing up and hugging her after Terry.

Hermione wasn't the only Hufflepuff to come straight to Harry at the Ravenclaw table, Justin coming up to apologize to him and shake his hand. Dumbledore announced that given the events, all exams beside O.W.L.s and N.E. were canceled. He also announced Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he was admitted to St. Mungo's for the foreseeable future. The feast was nearly over by the time Hagrid showed up. He apologized for being so late, saying the messenger with his release papers had been briefly blown off course, pulling Batty out his pocket, who thankfully was fine, if wet. The rest of the term was spent in a sunny daze. Since there wasn't exams still needed to be prepared for, their Defense classes were canceled rather than having a substitute. Draco didn't really know what to feel when his father got sacked as a school governor. Ginny was perfectly happy again and joined her older brothers in taking the mickey out of Percy over his now not-so-secret girlfriend. Blaise and Harry were intensely focused on their parents' upcoming wedding, which was scheduled for late June. Harry was composing and practicing up a storm, as Severus and Alanna had trusted the music to him. Blaise was focused on seating charts, making sure feuds and curses wouldn't result by putting the wrong people together at a table. The final feast came and went, with the feeling that the last feast was only days ago. Hufflepuff won the House Cup, for Harry had insisted the credit of fixing everything go to Hermione, who received two hundred points for it. McGonagall went out of her way to compensate Ashewood from losing his final shot at winning the Quidditch season by giving him the blank Quidditch Cup. They got to King's Cross without anymore excitement and parted with promises to keep in touch.

"You can't use the excuse of a house-elf this summer, Harry!" Daphne called, the laughter that followed carrying him all the way back to Ymborth.


End file.
